Irritation
by Illusion of Insanity
Summary: What's the most cliché thing you can think of when it comes to rivals? Well, if you're like me, it's having to bunk in the same room for a night when the Pokémon Center is full. I'll tell you right now, I'm NOT a fan of such cheesy twists of fate—especially when it involves me and a certain redhead. (Stubborn!/Tsundere!Lyra) (SoulSilver) [The sequel, "Frustration" is up!]
1. A Recipe for Disaster

**Full Summary:** **What's the most cliché thing you can think of when it comes to rivals? Well, if you're like me, it's having to bunk in the same room for a night when the Pokémon Center is full. I'll tell you right now, I'm NOT a fan of such cheesy twists of fate**—**especially when it involves me and a certain redhead. Stubborn!/Tsundere!Lyra (SoulSilver)**

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><p>The doors of the Pokémon Center slid open with a bell chime, alerting the kind nurse behind the desk that someone had arrived in the Blackthorn Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy looked up to find a familiar teen coming inside with a scowl, hands in his pockets and a Typhlosion trotting beside him. The nurse recognized the boy as the young teen who happened to train inside of the Dragon's Den on a daily basis.<p>

"Oh, hello there!" She slammed a stack of papers on the edge of the counter to straighten them up as he slowly made his way to the healing machines. "Done training for the day, are we?"

The boy didn't respond, he just motioned for his Typhlosion to lumber over to the counter as well, preparing to heal his Pokémon for the night after a long day. The nurse was used to his silence however, she just put her papers aside and waited for him to hand her his Pokémon.

The redheaded teen recalled his silent Typhlosion before handing his belt of Pokémon over to the young woman with a small frown. She gladly took his Pokémon and gently placed them on the machine, little beeps of confirmation ringing out when a capsule was set on the machine's surface.

Once the machine started to heal his Pokémon, Nurse Joy turned back to him with a smile. "I'm assuming you'll be spending the night here again, correct?" He simply gave her a nod and turned away, not really interested in striking up a conversation.

The nurse let out an awkward chuckle before turning towards the exit of her little booth. "Right...I'll go look for your usual roomkey, then." She then headed off towards the back room, eager to free herself from the boy's unusually cold stare.

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><p><strong>*~~*Lyra's Viewpoint*~~*<strong>

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><p>"Oh boy, what a day!" I stretched my hands over my head as I walked down the dirt road of Blackthorn's main street, heading towards the Pokémon Center after a whole day of training inside of the Ice Path. My Glaceon was at my heels, nodding his head back and forth with rhythmic barks as he sang that little song that he would sing when he's proud of himself.<p>

"We've had a long day today, haven't we boy?" I looked over my shoulder to find him absorbed in his song, too busy howling out the final chorus to pay attention to me. I just laughed at his enthusiasm and shook my head. _Glace is always so proud after a long day of training._ _He has every right to be; his Blizzard just keeps getting stronger and stronger!_ I was pulled out of my thoughts by the unexpected slamming of my face into the Pokémon Center's doors, the automatic sensor apparently not working properly.

"Ack!" I jumped back with a tight frown and growled at the malfunctioning piece of technology, irritated by this sudden defiance. "What the heck?!"

My angry voice apparently snapped Glaceon out of his song, for he gave the door a growl of his own and headbutted it with a roar. I just let out a sigh and scooped up my cold Eeveelution, earning a bark of shock before he calmly rested in my grasp.

"Alright," I closed my eyes with an annoyed frown before taking a few steps backwards. "Let's try this again, door." I opened my eyes to scowl at the glassy entryway, daring it to try that again.

I took a heavy step on the sensing mat and smirked in self-satisfaction when the familiar chime rang out into the late evening air. I lifted my nose into the air with a quiet chuckle and strutted inside of the Pokémon Center. "That's what I thought, you pesky door."

Suddenly, Glaceon let out a loud bark and growled at something inside of the room. _Wait...I know that bark._

Glaceon, like my starter, had a strong dislike of a certain person, making them both release their own signs of displeasure whenever I happened to stumble across that trainer. Meganium would always shake his flower with a roar, stomping the floor with his right foot at the sight of his enemy. When Glaceon found the trainer, he would let out a howl-like bark and start growling in warning, daring the person to come closer and face his fangs.

Silver was here.

I opened my eyes to find my rival standing there with his hands in his pockets, facing the counter. I gulped as I found that horrible feeling swirling inside of me again, my heart already starting to sound like a bass drum at the sight of that familiar head of burning hair. _Oh no, don't you start, Lyra!_ I scolded myself as Glaceon just continued to growl and Silver ignored the sound that he _knew_ belonged to my Glaceon.

I took a cautious step forward and narrowed my eyes as I found the beats growing faster as I reduced the distance between us. _Stop this nonsense right now, Lyra! He's just your rival! Why do you always do this when you see him?!_

When I was only a foot away from him, I stopped. I couldn't bring myself to take another step. Glaceon was starting to fidget in my grasp now, trying to free himself so he could 'defend me' from my rival once again. I cleared my throat and hoped that my voice wouldn't betray me again.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Silver." He raised his shoulders defensively before lowering them with a sigh. He turned around just as I chuckled, piercing me with those cold eyes of his. "It's been a while, rival."

"Lyra Soul," My heart gave a vicious slam into my ribcage as my name slipped off his tongue, swirling in the air and giving it a different tone just as his quiet voice always did. He raised an eyebrow in slight interest as his gaze lock on me. "What are you doing here so late? Shouldn't you be staying at the League and waiting for a challenger or something?"

I let out a quiet chuckle and shook my head. "Lance will notify me if there's a challenger waiting for me. Very few actually make it to face the Champion, you know." I tightened my grip on my snarling Ice Type as I went on, "I was just training with Glace here on the Ice Path. You know how it is; always have to hone those moves for our next big battle."

He just clicked his tongue and shook his own head, spreading out his flaming hair and covering his eyes with those intense locks for a few heartbeats—well, a few of my frantic heartbeats. He then lifted a finger and pointed at my Glaceon with a scowl. "Isn't that monster strong enough already?"

I laughed and shrugged, indirectly preventing my irritated Fresh Snow Pokémon from biting Silver's index finger. He quickly retracted the appendage with a frown, glaring at the bold Pokémon who constantly tried to attack him. "You know better than anyone that there's always room for improvement, Silver."

"Oh yeah?! And what's that supposed to mean,_ pest_?!" My eyes jolted open as I found him practically snarling at me, obviously taking what I said in a negative way. _Crap! Good going, Lyra! Way to poke the Beedrill's nest there!_

"I-I didn't mean it like that!" I took a step back as I found Silver balling his hands into fists. "I just meant that there's always more training to do before the next battle!"

This only seemed to make things worse. Silver then started growling at me, rage flashing in his eyes. I had managed to injure the one thing you _never_ touch when it comes to Silver...

I had damaged his pride.

"Just shut up, stupid!" His glare sharpened into a look I haven't seen a long time, filled with raw fury. "I get that being the Champion makes you think you're better than me, but you're dead wrong!" I flinched as he growled and turned back towards the counter with a frown.

"Silver please," I loosened my grip on Glaceon, reached out my right hand towards him and frowned. _How could I be so careless?! Ugh, I really am an idiot sometimes!_ "I didn't mean it like that. I swear I—"

My pleas for him to listen were interrupted by the sound of Nurse Joy's footsteps coming back towards us with slow steps. I slammed my mouth shut as she came into sight, feeling uncomfortable talking to Silver in front of her, despite the fact I knew she was a kind individual.

"Alrighty then," She started twirling a keyring on her finger as she walked into view, her eyes closed for a moment as she walked back to the counter. "I've found your roomkey, although I'll admit it was a bit of a pain to find it—" She opened her eyes and froze as she found the Champion of Johto standing inside of her lobby, the keys falling to the bottom of her finger as she gawked.

"Oh my!" She immediately straightened her posture and gave me a nervous smile. "I had no idea you were stopping by, Ms. Soul!" Silver let out a snort and turned his attention to a poster for a winter festival that was happening in a few months, turning away from the woman.

I lowered my Glaceon to the floor to free my hands, and the Eeveelution immediately headed towards my rival's ankles and started barking at him incessantly. I turned my attention back to the nurse with a defensive raise of my hands, unaccustomed to everyone referring to me as 'Ms. Soul', 'the Champion' and other related titles.

"Oh no, ma'am. I was just looking for a place to spend the night after training today." Her smile immediately fell as I told her my reason and she turned her attention to the floor.

"...I'm afraid we're full, Ms. Soul."

I jolted in shock as Silver suddenly snapped his attention back to the nurse behind the counter. "...What...did you say?" I found myself flinching as I heard the unhidden anger in Silver's voice, the nurse obviously uncomfortable with his tone as I was.

She lifted a hand with her palm up in a gesture of explanation while she spoke up, "I'm afraid your usual room was the only one left, young man. All of our other rooms are being rented out by trainers, some from places as far as Kanto."

I raised an eyebrow and took a few steps forward, walking around Silver as if he was toxic. "Why are there so many people here tonight?" I frowned as Nurse Joy simply sighed and shook her head.

"The annual Dragon Tamer's reunion is tomorrow, so many members of the local families who happened to live far away returned for the annual festivities." She pointed to a poster beside the one Silver had been preoccupied with, the colorful piece of paper boldly announcing the reunion that was being held in the Dragon's Den.

"Looks like training's in the bucket tomorrow..." Silver's mumble barely reached my ears as I just shook my head and sighed. _Great. Looks like I'll be camping out tonight instead._ I turned back towards the exit and motioned for my Glaceon to follow me.

"...Where are you going." I stopped in mid-step as I found Silver's monotone question—which sounded more like a demand than anything—slamming into my back. I turned around and frowned as I found him staring at me, his cleverly-practiced pokerface taking full control of his face.

"Somewhere else." I motioned towards the door and turned back to my objective. "There's not enough room here for me, so I'll just set up a tent somewhere or something."

"At this late at night?" I looked out of the corner of my eye to find Silver clenching a fist and heaving his shoulders as if he was trying to remain calm. "You know the Pokémon around here are very territorial at night."

"So?" I finished my half-step to let myself stand flat on the floor. "Glace and I can handle ourselves, Silver. A little Teddiursa or two won't bother us." Glaceon let out a roar of agreement as he sat at my feet, waiting for me to open the door.

"You _know_ that Teddiursa's aren't what I'm taking about, idiot."

I just shrugged and shoved my hands inside of my overalls, suddenly feeling uneasy. "So what? I'll be fine, Silver." I started to walk again as I heard him let out a heavy breath.

"...You know what happened the last time you said that."

I froze with a bolt of shock as he spoke, letting Glaceon crash into my leg as I stopped abruptly. _I can't believe...he remembers that._

The last time I told Silver those exact words was on Victory Road, right after our battle. He had warned me of a herd of aggressive Onix roaming nearby that he had passed on his way to the exit. I had told him that they wouldn't be a challenge, that Meganium and I could Razor Leaf them into submission if things got ugly. He of course called me stupid, hard-headed and claimed that I was begging for trouble before storming off the way I had came.

I shrugged off his words, figuring that I could handle myself against some Onix. I certainly wasn't expecting the ground to tremble below my feet and Meganium to let out a roar of warning as the Onix headed straight for us. I also didn't expect my little Gani to try to hold them off, only to become exhausted. The rest of my Pokémon were too tired or on their last legs, leaving me alone against the band of angry Rock Types.

The last thing I expected to happen was my rival to leap out from behind a boulder and hold them off with his Typhlosion while handing me some Elixers and Hyper Potions to heal my Meganium back to full health so I could chase them off. If it weren't for the fact that he had stuck around after that little bit of cocky attitude, I could've become squash instead of the new Champion...

I hate it when he suddenly acts all wise and crap.

"..." I opened my mouth and found my throat constricting any smart retort I could have used on him. Instead, I let out a sigh of defeat and turned back towards him.

"Alright, genius. What am I supposed to do for shelter tonight, then?"

Silver turned his head towards his left, avoiding my gaze as he shoved his hands back in his pockets. "...How should I know, Marshmallow-Head? All I know is that if you go out there, you'll end up creamed or something."

"You two could share the room."

We both turned around in utter horror at Nurse Joy's sudden interjection, our mouths wide open and my face burning with embarrassment.

"Are you crazy?!" Silver's voice was louder than my own incoherent sputters, although I was certain that his voice quivered at the end. "Why would I share a room with her of all people?!"

"Well," Nurse Joy pointed to Silver before pointing to me with a look of discomfort. "You two seem pretty close to each other, so it's not as if you're sharing a room with a stranger. Besides," She lifted the keys up towards her fingertips and gave a weak smile. "There's a couch in there besides the standard bed."

"But you want me to share a room with a _girl_!" Silver threw his hands into the air as I just scooped my silent Glaceon up into my arms once again. "How is _that_ being responsible?!"

Nurse Joy's face quickly deadpaned at Silver's accusation. "I highly doubt I have to worry about you two doing anything..._foolish_ in there this evening." My face burned as she then turned back to me. "And I'm certain that the Champion knows how to protect herself from any advances that may come from—"

"Alright, alright!" I found my face burning as Silver slammed a hand into his forehead. It was _now_ that I recalled that this Nurse Joy was a bit...blunt. "We get the point, ma'am!"

"So," She lifted the keyring in triumph and smirked at us with a seemingly evil glint in her eyes. "Will you two be staying here this evening~?"

Silver snatched the keyring out of her hands with a grumble before turning towards me, angling his head as to hide his eyes from my sight.

"C'mon, Marshmallow-Head! Are you going to stand out here all night or what?!"

I just shook my head and followed him as he stormed off to the rooms, ignoring Glaceon's frustrated howl in my arms.

"Remember!" Nurse Joy's voice rang out as we turned the corner into the hallway. "Be responsible!"

I just let out a groan and stormed after him before he decided to lock me out instead.


	2. Arguments and Showers

**Part II: Arguments and Showers**

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><p>Silver slammed the door behind us once we reached the room, then immediately threw himself onto the small bed at the other end of the room. I looked around to find the room moderately larger than the rooms in say Violet City, but the room was probably only the size of your typical master bedroom. There was a nice cream couch against the right wall, right nearby a television set. A glass coffetable sat in front of the couch with a recent issue of <em>Trainer's Elite Beat<em> resting upon it. _Is that...?_

Curious about the magazine, I walked over to glance at the cover. I frowned at the image before me as Glaceon licked my chin in an attempt to soothe me. Sure enough, I found my own face staring at me from the black background, hazel eyes shining in the lights of the set and a brilliant smile on my face. _It is. It's the most recent issue._

I turned my attention to the lone bed and found Silver cautiously glaring at me from the bed covers, his face tilted to face me but the rest of him flat as a pancake. I pointed to the magazine with a small frown.

"Just checking the magazine, that's all."

"It's mine, nitwit." Silver slowly rolled himself onto his back and ran a hand through his hair with a hiss. "I left it last night, not that anything interesting was in it this time."

I just looked away and lowered Glaceon onto the floor. My faithful Pokémon gave me a pleading look before slowly walking over to the deep-green area carpet under the coffetable. I shook my head and started to lower my bag off of my shoulder, suddenly feeling as if the strap was digging into my shoulder.

"What are you doing?" I glanced up to find Silver sitting up with a scowl.

I just shrugged and continued what I was doing. "Claiming the shower before you can have a chance to steal it."

He suddenly jumped to his feet and dashed for the attached bathroom, leaving me standing there with a stupid look on my face. I then let out a yell of rage and dropped the bag on the floor before blocking the doorway with a growl.

"Move it, Marshmallow-Head!" Silver barely had enough time to stop before he crashed into me. He managed to stop just inches from my nose and quickly backed away with a glint in his eyes. "I'm the one who always rents this room, it's basically _my_ stinkin' shower!"

"Ah," I lifted a finger with a smirk and wagged it in his face. "But I called it verbally before you even thought of taking one, redhead. Therefore, I get first shower."

"Oh no you don't!" Silver tried to strife around me, making me roll my eyes and press myself against the door. "I was planning on taking a hot shower before you even showed up here, and that means I get the shower!"

I just narrowed my eyes and lifted my nose in the air, only glancing at him out of the bottom of my vision. He immediately started growling at me; he hated it when I used the same tactics he used against him.

"I'm taking the first shower and that's final."

He glared at me for a long moment before backing away slightly. I grinned in triumph as he looked down at his feet. He suddenly lifted his head up with a smirk and yelled in a tone similar to Ethan's usual jests, "I'm taking the first shower because I've been training all day, unlike you!"

I just snorted and pointed to the Glaceon curled up under the table. "I was training with him in the Ice Path all day, remember?"

"Ah," He lifted his head up as I had done seconds earlier. I raised an eyebrow and lowered my own head to take a better look at what he was doing. "But you see, I was training in the Dragon's Den all day. The _humid_," He slowly lifted his hands to his collar and grabbed the zipper. "Wet," His right hand slowly pulled the zipper down with a smooth motion. "Zubat guano-filled caverns of the Dragon's Den."

I felt my face warm as he slipped out of his jacket and smirked deviously. _What is he doing..?_ "And now," He continued on in a heavy voice, as if he was sighing out every word. "I'm sweatier than a Granbull after a Pokeathlon." He flung his jacket over his left shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think that I _deserve_ that shower now?"

"...N-Nope!" I had to fight to keep my firm stance in front of the door; I honestly have _never_ seen Silver act like this. "I'm still taking the first shower!"

"Oh really?" Silver's voice sounded almost disappointed that his little display had no real effect on me. "Well then," He shrugged and grabbed his jacket off his shoulder before turning away. "I guess that didn't work."

"Of course it didn't." I shook my head with a chuckle. "In fact, it was actually kinda odd—"

Silver suddenly spun around with a yell and launched his jacket at my face, making me gasp for air. I instantly regretted doing so however, because his jacket smelled like a _gym_ instead of just the outerwear of _one guy_. "Perhaps if you smelled it you would change you mind!" His yell came out through bursts of laughter as I squirmed and tried to run away from the jacket.

"Bleh! Get this thing off of me!" I found myself running around the room, blinded by the navy-blue fabric. "It's disgusting!"

Silver just roared with a childish laugh, chasing after me and pushing the jacket further down to keep my face covered. "I'll only let you go when you let me have first dibs on the stinkin' shower!"

"Never, jerkface!" I spat the familiar insult through a break in my laughs and continued to run blindly around the room. "The shower's mine!"

I found myself crashing to the floor face first as I tripped over something, and of course my rival fell on top of me, laughing as he slammed his hands down on the jacket's edges and trapped my head in the jacket. Luckily, the jacket was thin enough to breathe under, but must I remind you about the stench? If I tried to breathe through my mouth instead, I would just end up tasting that rank stank.

The noise must have woken up my faithful—but apparently slacking—guardian, for a yelp came from the right side of the room and was quickly followed by rabid barking. I just struggled to push the jacket off of my face, squirming like a Caterpie on its back.

"Give up now, Marshmallow-Head!" Silver seemed unfazed by Glaceon's efforts. "I'm getting that first shower!"

"I'll never give in to _you_, redhead! I'll never give!" I just roared with laughter as I tried to escape, unfortunately finding myself weaker than him in terms of physical strength—but I'm better than him in everything else.

A good five minutes filled with laughs, roars, groans and barks passed by as I found myself completely stuck and my captor unwilling to compromise for once in his darn life and _give me the first stinkin' shower_.

A sudden sound filled the room, the sound seemingly someone knocking on the door with a stick. We both froze as the bangs on the door ended and a cocky voice called out, "Oi! Dude, congrats on your score and all...but keep it down, will ya'?!" I found my face burning as the obviously teenage voice continued, "Some of us are trying to sleep, ya' know!"

I took advantage of the moment to shove the jacket off of me seeing as Silver was too busy stuttering for a comeback—yes, the tough Silver actually stutters when he's really at a loss for a retort. I sat up with a gasp for air and found my rival with a dumbstruck expression, an angry Glaceon biting his sock and pulling on it with sharp yanks.

"S-Shut up!" _Ah, the usual one._ I rolled my eyes and quickly rose to my feet, my face still burning from a lack of proper oxygen and the strange guy's stranger thought process.

_Now's my chance!_ I smiled deviously as I realized Silver was still on his hands and knees, struggling to regain his composure. I dashed towards the bathroom and laughed as Glaceon barked in triumph.

"Nope!" I let out a gasp of shock as Silver suddenly slid past me and ducked inside of the bathroom with a laugh. I found myself stopping just centimeters away as he slammed the door shut, the click of the lock coming only seconds afterwards. I pounded the door with my fists as Glaceon slowly padded over to my feet.

"Silver! Silver, open this stinkin' door right now!"

The sound of the water rushing out of the showerhead met my ears, followed by the clank of metal hitting the floor. I groaned as Silver just laughed at my loss.

"Can't do that, Marshmallow-Head~!" His voice was echoing now, signaling that he was already in the shower. "Tough break, loser!"

"Oh, shut your mouth!" I just pounded the door one last time and stormed over to the bed. I threw myself onto the surface with a roar of frustration, causing Glaceon to rush to my side and hop up on the mattress as well.

Sometimes, I really hated that guy.

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><p>About a half-hour later, Silver strutted out of the bathroom in a grey undershirt and a pair of black shorts, whistling a tune as he rubbed his hair with a small towel. I just growled as he pulled it off his head, threw it across his shoulders and smirked at me, looking like a soaked Tangela.<p>

"You," I turned towards him and scowled while pointing at his mop of wet hair. "Are a devious, rotten little thief and I hate you."

He just laughed and shook his head, scattering water across the room. "Oh really?" He lifted his head with pride as he continued his strut over to the bedside, his feet sticking to the floor with every step. "It's about time you noticed that."

I just growled under my breath and hopped off the bed just seconds before he jumped onto the mattress. "Oh," He rocked his head back and forth in a mocking way and just smirked. "And I hate you more."

He stopped once he heard the sound of a harsh puff of breath coming out of someone's nostrils. His head slowly turned to his right to find my Meganium scowling at him with his golden eyes screwed into narrow slits. Silver jumped back a little bit in surprise before growling at my irked starter and pointing at his pale-green nose.

"What's Petalsaurus doing out? I thought the little Ice Demon was with you today."

I just headed over to my bag and pulled out my red sleepwear with a growl of my own. "Gani is out because he always sleeps near me, it's like a tradition that we've upheld ever since we first met. Also," I stood back up and glared at him as I went on, "He's here to guard the bathroom door from the likes of _you_."

"Pfft, please," He just waved me off and put his hands behind his head, reclining until he was propped up by the pillow on the narrow bed. "Don't flatter yourself. Like I would want to peep on a little weakling like you!"

"Says the guy who stripped me." I just looked up at the ceiling with a smirk as he sputtered for air at my mention of that fateful day where I learned that I could beat Silver in _more_ than just a battle.

I could _literally_ beat him if I needed to.

"Sh-Shut up, little pest!" I just ignored his following string of insults and headed for the shower, Meganium heading towards the bathroom door with a snort.

"I mean it, redhead." I looked over my shoulder to find him poised like a Persian who was just doused with water, his back arched up and his hands gripping the blankets tightly. "If you come anywhere near this door, Meganium has ever right to attack you in any way he deems necessary."

"Just take your stinkin' shower already!"

I just chuckled at his flustered rage and waved in farewell. "See you in an hour~!" I then promptly slammed the door behind me, locked the knob and prepared to take probably the quickest shower of my life.

Despite my starter's fierce loyalty, I doubted he could hold off a angsty rival with a thing for stripping little girls.

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><p><strong>Silver's Veiwpoint<strong>

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><p>I relaxed almost instantly as the scream of the shower-water hit my ears. <em>Finally, she's gone.<em> I gave the flowery Pokémon guarding the door a final glare before unclipping my own starter's Pokeball from my belt.

I hurled the capsule into the air as the Meganium let out a roar of protest. The orb burst open with a flash of red light and a hefty form crashed to the floor on his haunches, letting out a roar to intimidate his opponent.

I just rolled my eyes and motioned towards the coffetable. "Go fetch that magazine, will ya'? And don't burn it this time, Typhlosion."

My stolen starter gave me a glare which basically meant _'are you kidding me?'_ and let out a snort of rejection.

I snarled and pointed to the table once again. "Look, if I stay on this bed, I can claim it for myself tonight since I was forced to share a room with Marshmallow-Head." His crimson eyes grew wide as I went on, "So if you get me the magazine, you can sleep at the foot of the bed."

At this proposition, he lumbered over to the table with a rumble. He quickly snatched the copy of _Trainer's Elite Beat_ and returned to the bedside with a knowing smirk. I just ignored his eyebrow raising and took the magazine out of his paw.

"Shut up, wise guy. It's not like that. There was a lack of rooms at the Pokémon Center and the broad in charge decided that making me share a room with Ms. Brat would be the best solution." I quickly motioned towards the brunette's starter and glared. "Why don't you go talk to your own rival instead of standing here and mocking me?"

At the mention of the petal-wearing beast, Typhlosion immediately let out a roar and stumbled over towards the smaller Pokémon. I watched with slight interest as the Meganium let out a roar of panic and started to quiver in place. _Pah, that thing's a mess as always._

I slowly returned my attention to my copy of _Trainer's Elite Beat_ and scowled as the familiar smile on the cover caught my attention once again. _Little idiot thinks she's so great getting on the cover of some big magazine. Humph!_ I quickly located my earlier Snubull-eared page and flipped it open straight to the article about the newest Champion of the Johto region.

I can't believe I've stooped as low as reading about her instead of just interrogating her like I used to.

My eyes were immediately scanning through the article once again, rereading the same words again and again. _Lucas Diamond...cheesy crap about her team..._

I eyes grew wide as I read the next question to myself, ignoring the sound of the two starters arguing at the bathroom door. _People she might want to thank?_ I let out a sigh and glared at the black text. _Yeah, she'll probably thank that weakling Ethan and her mother..._

Despite my certainty of the answer, I read Lyra's response anyway. I nearly choked as I found the words 'rival' and 'important to me' used in the first two sentences. I found myself focusing on that pink font with a newfound energy. _...Strong trainer? Always getting better?!_ I found my heart racing as she went on and on about _me_ to this absolute stranger, telling him how _I_ was the reason she became so strong. _Is she really talking about _me_?! Perhaps she has some other rival I didn't know about..._

I found my face burning as a wave of self-consciousness washed over me. Sure enough, there was my name in that pink text that was Lyra's response. I found myself reading that line over and over again, unable to believe my eyes.

_Silver, if you happen to be reading this, thank you for being my rival._ _Holy Lugia, she's talking about me. She's _really_ talking about me to this guy. She's _thanking_ me for helping her become stronger._

Things only became worse as I read the next question. I jolted in my spot and found myself yelling out in utter horror. "_Love interest?!_ Is that guy _nuts_?!" I quickly glanced around the room and found the two Pokémon staring at me with shocked looks, unable to comprehend what I was doing.

I shook my head to try to rid myself of the overwhelming heat in my face. I then returned my eyes to the white page and scanned her response. _She stuttered. Holy Lugia she's sputtering out that denial like her tongue is twisted into a knot._ My eyes widened as Lyra's response jumped out at me.

_Wh-What?! N-No! Silver's just my rival! There's nothing like that between us, I swear on Ho-Oh's tail feathers!_

I shook my head as the warmth in my cheeks increased into something that felt like an actual flame on my face. _She's desperate to shoot that question down, almost as if she's hiding something..._ I shook my head again, this time to clear the strange thoughts that were trying to force their way into my head. _No! Don't you dare go there! You two are just rivals; you're not friends and you're _certainly_ not _that_!_

A sudden click of the bathroom lock sent me into a panic, making me jump up and quickly stash the magazine under the pillow behind me. I then tried to relax and look as inconspicuous as possible, trying desperately to hide the burn in my face.

_Oh Lugia, spare me this torture._


	3. Little Black Truths

**Part III: Little Black Truths**

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><p>I slowly opened the bathroom door with a sigh, feeling short of breath inside of this steamy little room. I padded out with a frown and pulled my towel off of my head, then flung it to the floor with a grunt. I froze as I found Silver's Typhlosion standing near his trainer, his crimson eyes intently locked onto my face. I then looked to the left of the door and found my poor Meganium giving the Fire Type a shaking growl.<p>

I snapped my attention to the culprit with a growl of my own, startling him slightly from his awkward-looking recline. "Why is your Typhlosion out? I thought you hated letting them out of their Pokéballs."

Silver just shrugged and kept his eyes on his stolen Pokémon. "You had yours out, so I decided to let mine out. It's not a crime, Marshamallow-Head."

I just shook my head and headed towards the coffetable, hoping to perhaps read some of the other articles inside of the magazine instead of my own. I stopped as I found it oddly missing from the glass surface. I slowly turned my attention back to my rival and found him now looking up at the ceiling and clearing his throat.

"Alright, where did the magazine go?"

"W-What are you talking about?!" I raised an eyebrow as Silver's voice faltered on his yell. "There certainly wasn't a copy of _Trainer's Elite Beat_ on that table, Pigtails! You're losing your mind—if you even had one to begin with."

I just chuckled and smirked at him. "You're doing that specific denial thing again, Silv. You're really losing your touch."

"Oh, shut it already!" His Typhlosion let out an amused rumble and turned towards me, pointing to the pillow under his trainer's head.

_Ah._ I smirked even wider as I walked on over to the bedside and glared down at the mess of red hair that was now frizzing all over the place. I barely could distinguish those metallic eyes under those scarlet locks, the cold orbs slowly drifting to me before snapping back towards the ceiling. I just chuckled as his cheeks gained a slightly pinker hue to his pale skin.

"What do you want?!"

"Oh," I just yanked the pillow out from under him, earning a curse as his head was sent crashing to the mattress. I grinned as I found the black cover sticking out behind his head. "Just taking this from you!" I pulled the magazine out with a laugh as he groaned with defeat. His starter let out a roar of amusement just as Meganium waddled over to my side.

"G-Give it back, you stupid girl!" I quickly lifted it above my head as Silver suddenly lunged for me, grabbing for it with shaking hands—guilty hands.

"No way! I can read the stupid magazine, Silv—ER!" My taunt was rudely interrupted by him toppling off the bed and smashing into me, sending us both crashing to the floor. Typhlosion just laughed at us in his throaty growls while my loyal Meganium let out a roar of panic.

I blinked as I found my own face staring back at me with a baffled look. I slowly pulled the magazine away and found the second me to be a picture of Meganium and I a few days before we challenged the League, startled by a sudden photographer. I raised an eyebrow as I found the page of my interview mysteriously Snubull-eared on the left side.

"Hey, this is my interview, isn't it?" I felt Silver stiffen close to my stomach as I tilted the page to the left. "Why's it Snubull-eared?"

"Wh-What are you talking about?!" I looked out from the bottom of the article to find him propped up on his hands and knees with a completely red face. "You obviously bent it over when you took it from me, pest!"

"Um, no I didn't, Mr. Flustered." I smirked as his eyes grew wide and he tried to shake the heat away from his face. "It fell on my face and was on this page, in case you forgot."

"Look," I glanced back at him and found him giving me a strange pout-like scowl. I just chuckled as it somehow reminded me of an angry Eevee. "Just give me back the magazine." I grinned and lifted the magazine higher.

"How about no?"

Silver then gave me a furious scowl and tried to reach the magazine himself. "Then I'll _take_ it back!"

"Nope~!" I just yanked it away and curled up with the magazine pressed against my chest, making him let out a roar of frustration. I opened one eye to find him trying to reach in a small opening in my curl to pull the copy of _Trainer's Elite Beat_ out, making me just laugh at him.

"You're really going to stick your hand near my boobs, Silv?" I relished in the way my taunt made his face burst into color and continued, "I didn't realize you still wanted to strip me."

"I don't!" He was yowling as his starter started to roar with laughter again, Meganium already trying to get past the Fire Type to come to my rescue. "You don't even have boobs!"

I deadpanned at him and started to growl, making him retract his hand and rub it awkwardly. "I do too have boobs, wise guy. There's just not Clair's boobs that suffocate you to death—"

"I don't want to hear about your boobs, Marshmallow-Head!" I looked up to find Silver sitting on his knees and covering his face in his hands, making me just chuckle and sit up. "I just want my magazine back!"

"Well tough luck, Jerky!" I leapt to my feet as Silver remained on the floor. I flaunted my little prize for a moment before snickering at his embarrassment. "Besides, why would _you_ want to read about _me_, anyway? You're always ranting about how much you hate me, so why the sudden interest?"

I was taken by surprise as Silver jumped to his feet with a deadly glare—which honestly I grew immune to long ago. With a growl, he swatted his crooked jacket back over his side and got in my face.

"Perhaps I wouldn't be forced to read about my rival if she happened to _actually spend some time near me_ instead of hanging out with all of those stuck-up losers in the Elite Four all day!"

An awkward silence slammed down on our heads as metallic eyes grew wide with horror. I just gawked at him as he looked down at the floor, muttering under his breath about _'being an absolute idiot'_ for spitting that in my face.

"Silver...I..." I found my heart dropping into my gut at this sudden realization. _Is that why he was so touchy in the lobby?_ I looked down at my new pink sneakers and bit my lip in thought. _The way he talked about me being the Champion...was this the reason why?_

"Forget it." I looked up to find him looking away and swatting the air in dismissal. "You forget I ever said anything, Marshmallow-Head." He slowly trudged to the bed and just let himself flop down on the soft comforter before he went on, "You have more important things than dealing with a rotten rival now."

I felt a sad smile stretch across my face as I walked after him. Typhlosion and Meganium alike just watched us with worried eyes—Gani's being far more worried than Typhlosion's would ever be—as they waited for this scene to play out before them. Silver flinched as I let myself sit beside him and place a hand on his back.

"Hey," I leaned forward a little bit and tried to locate his eyes under that mess of hair. "Remember this?" He looked up to find me flaunting that burn on my hand with a smile. He raised an eyebrow before shaking his head.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"A lot." I scooted up on the bed and let the strange heart-like scar show in full view of my rival. "When I got this mark, I was nothing more than a girl fresh out of New Bark Town."

"Liar." I snapped my head to my right to find him glaring at that mark. "You've always been more than just a girl with a poor choice in attire. You're forgetting that the scar on your hand is from a legendary bird of fire, idiot."

I shook my head before placing my scarred hand on his own hand, making both of our cheeks warm at the strange bolts that resulted from this contact. "I was never enthusiastic about the whole deal with Ho-Oh, you understand that better than anyone." I took a quick glance to see if he was listening and found his metallic gaze locked on that strange mark with a fierce spark in those orbs.

"You were never just a girl." I found myself straining to hear him as his voice came out low and barely a whisper. "You've been a 'chosen one', a 'hero', an 'idol' and now you're a 'Champion'." I found myself looking down at my lap as he seemed to look straight through me.

"You've never been just a girl, _never_."

I paused for a moment, floored by this sudden twisted opinion of me. _Is that how he's always seen me?_ I glanced up to see him turning his head towards our starters with a bitter frown on his face. _It's almost as if I'm not even a person in his eyes._ I felt my heart drop into my stomach as I felt a shocking thought enter my mind.

_It's as if I'm on some sort of pedestal high above his head._

I decided right then and there that I needed to fix this.

"Silver," I gave him a hard stare as he continued to watch Typhlosion poke my poor Gani's antennae. "Do you trust me?" My question quickly snapped him out of his—most likely—fume and brought his gaze right back to my own eyes.

"What?" He narrowed his eyes in confusion as his mouth opened slightly. "What kind of question is that—"

"Do you trust me?" I pressed the question with a glare and a squeeze of his hand, making his cheeks light ever so slightly.

"...Yes?"

I smiled at his reluctant answer and pulled us both to our feet.

"Then I have a little something to show you."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: In case it was unclear, the burn on Lyra's hand is actually in the shape of <em>HeartGold<em>'s logo, the wings of Ho-Oh in the shape of a heart. She received this early on in her journey during an encounter with the legendary Pokémon. It was the literal mark of being the chosen one, as the Kimono Girls told her later on. The burn is no longer painful, but it still looks kinda bad. Lyra commonly hides it with make-up, which of course washed off in the shower.**

**And on a related side-note, it's best never to trust your hot-headed/stubborn/crazy rival when she asks for it.**


	4. The Midnight Flight of Lyra Soul

**Part IV: The Midnight Flight of Lyra Soul**

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><p>When Lyra said she had something to show me, I had quite a different mental image of what was coming next.<p>

"Lyra!" I was currently shouting above the bitter winds of Blackthorn at around a hundred feet off the ground, my arms clinging to her thin frame and my mind praying to Lugia that we don't fall off of her mode of transportation. "Lyra Soul, I demand you take us back down to the ground right now!"

"Oh relax, Jerky!" Lyra simply looked over her shoulder as her brunette locks whipped her cheeks until they turned cherry-red. "I promise you that you're perfectly safe with me!"

"We're on a stinkin' Skarmory over a hundred feet off the ground, woman! How in Lugia's name is this considered _safe_?!"

My clearly sadist rival simply laughed and looked ahead into the endless abyss of stars and gleaming moonlight. "Because you're with me, genius! I'm a trained professional at this!"

"At flying?!" I let out a shocked yelp as a murder of Murkrow flew through us, the Armor Bird Pokémon unfazed by their screeches of agitation. I spat out a few feathers as Lyra simply laughed. I then sharpened my glare at her back and snapped, "Unless you have an official license from Falkner, I'm not believing you for a single minute!"

I watched on as Lyra shook her head. She then turned back to my and shot her eyes to my waist. "If it makes you feel better, you can release Crobat to act as a safety net, big baby."

"You bet your badges I'm letting Crobat out!" I unclipped Crobat's Pokéball with a glare at those dancing hazels and hurled the capsule high. "I'd be crazy to trust you in this mess!"

Lyra let out a mutter that sounded suspiciously like _'you-claimed-you-trusted-me-back-at-the-Pokémon-Center'_ just seconds before Crobat let out a screech and swooped down for my rival. I watched the streak of purple with utter horror and let out a screech of panic.

"Crobat, no!"

But I was too late.

Crobat grabbed her with deadly accuracy, lifted her into the air and chirped with utter bliss at the sight of the brunette. Lyra Soul simply dangled from his mouth with a laugh and patted his side. Skarmory let out a shrill shriek of anger as my Bat Pokémon started to coo to her in that strange manner of his.

"Aw," Lyra let out a laugh and looked up at him with nothing but love in her warm hazels. "I've missed you too, Cro! How's Silver been doing lately?"

My Pokémon shot me an glare of accusation before letting out a few chirps. I just ignored him and silently kept praying that Crobat could effectively talk with his mouth full.

"Really now?" A small flame of discomfort rose in my chest as my rival began to have a conversation with _my_ Pokémon. It was bad enough when she talked to her _own_ Pokémon, let alone talked to mine. "I had a sneaking suspicion. He's looking thin and pale again."

My discomfort quickly morphed into anger at her words.

"Who are ya' calling _'thin and pale'_, Beanpole!?"

Lyra and both flyers just laughed at my insult, making the heat rise to my cheeks in protest. The girl swatted the air for a moment and Crobat simply fluttered along with the flying Skarmory as we continued this midnight flight.

"Hey Silv," I looked back up from Skarmory's back to see Lyra giving me a smirk—a _dangerous_ smirk. "Hold on to Skar tight, alright? We're going to fly higher."

I felt as if she tossed a rock straight at my head.

"Are you nuts, woman?! We'll end up catching hypothemia or some crap if we fly higher in this night air!" Lyra just shook her head and pointed up towards the moon.

"Skar, head for the stars."

The Amor Bird Pokémon let out a shrill call that sounded suspiciously like a laugh before shooting up for the heavens above. I found myself screaming in protest as Crobat darted up beside us with a cheering rival in his jaws. I tried to gulp down as much air as possible as we suddenly popped up above a cloud.

"See, you big crybaby?" Lyra popped up seconds after me with a smiling Crobat. "It doesn't kill you."

I fought to stop hyperventilating as I looked around our hovering location. The air was indeed colder up here, but that was nothing compared to the night sky.

The stars seemed to shimmer even brighter than I've ever seen before, almost to the point that they radiated their own light as the moon shone beside them. They were far more numerous as well, dazzling the navy skies with a shower of diamonds. The moon sat in the center of it all, almost as if it were a pearl on the center of a diamond necklace. I had to admit, it was pretty nice up here despite the chill.

It was, dare I say it, _beautiful_ up here.

"Well?" Lyra's confident voice pulled me out of my thoughts like an angler. I looked to my right to find her folding her arms with a smirk of confidence. "Your thoughts on the scenery, Sir Grumpypants?"

I gave her a glare before turning to my left. "It's like something out of a cheesy chick-flick, during the lead's date with the super hot guy or something."

A muffled giggle met my burning ears as I folded my arms. "Oh, I had no idea you were fluent in chick, Silver. Perhaps I should look through your PokéPlayer the next time I get the chance."

I snapped my attention back to her and gave her the darkest scowl I could muster at nearly ten at night. "You touch my 'Player, Lyra and I will personally ensure you have a painful and gruesome death."

Lyra just rolled her eyes and gave me a playful mimic of my face. "Like you'd ever kill me. You couldn't survive without me, redhead."

I felt my cheeks burn as she just laughed her accusation off as if it were nothing. _...She's probably right._ I found myself horrified with my brain's result. _Things just wouldn't be the same without a pesky Marshmallow-Head around._

I turned my head away and scoffed as I tried to regain some sanity.

"Like I said," I looked out of the corner of my eyes to find her giving me a smug look of triumph. "You wouldn't dare try to hurt me."

"Why are we up here anyway, Miss Annoying?!" I spat the question out and prayed that my face wasn't as red as her sleepwear at the moment. She just blinked at me before giving me a small smile**—**a genuine smile.

"I wanted to show you something," She looked up at the skies before letting out a long sigh. "I thought it might cheer you up, Silv."

"I don't need cheering up, Marshmallow-Brain." I gave her a glare as my insult simply earned a laugh and a pat for Crobat.

"I haven't heard that one in over a year!" She flashed a toothy grin before turning to her Skarmory. She snapped her fingers as if a signal before nodding her head to the Armor Pokémon. She then slowly turned to face me with a grin**—**a _far_ too suspicious grin.

"Well, I'll see you later, redhead."

An utter weight of confusion slammed into my skull as she slowly rose a hand to Crobat's side. "What in Lugia's name are talking about, you little**—**"

It was right then that she tickled his side.

I let out a scream of panic as Crobat's mouth opened with a laugh. Horror raced through my veins as she simply plummeted to the ground below, dropping through the thin layer of clouds as if it were nothing.

"_LYRA!_"

Crobat let out a squeal of shock before darting after her with panicked echolocations ringing out in the night air. Then, the unthinkable happened.

Skarmory slammed into Crobat in mid-air with a laugh of a caw, knocking me overboard and sending Crobat into a dizzy twister.

I just screamed as I dropped even faster than my smaller rival, diving straight through the thin clouds and racing to meet the ground. My heart exploded within my chest, slamming violently until the hollow sound rang out in my ears even above the screaming winds around me. Unable to watch either my rival or myself go splat on the grass below us, I covered my eyes with my jacket sleeves and began to _fervently_ pray to Lugia, Ho-Oh and every legendary that I knew that my rival and I _wouldn't_ die by _becoming craters in Blackthorn in the dead of night_.

A cold bolt raced through me as something gently grabbed my arms. I didn't dare open my eyes, fearing that it was the hands of some undertaker waiting to take me to my grave. My grim and frankly terrifying thoughts were burst by the sounds of laughter.

I looked out of my arms to find exactly who I last expected to see smiling at me as we fell to our doom.

"Aw, don't be such a baby, Silver!" Lyra was grinning ear-to-ear as we continued to fall faster than I even knew was possible. "Move your arms!"

"Are you _insane_, woman?!" I tried to throw her off of me but I just ended up spinning in mid-air and earning a sickening swirl in my gut. Lyra just chuckled before grabbing the back of my jacket and righting my descent for me with a smile. I gave her the darkest scowl I ever made and spat out, "We're going to fall to our deaths!"

She gave me a confused look before shaking her head and leaning towards me. Suddenly I found myself face-to-face with my insane rival as she grabbed my hands and steadied my shaking.

"You won't die, Silver." Her voice was surprisingly calm as she lied right to my face. "I promise you, this is perfectly safe." I opened my mouth to interject something along the lines of _'you-are-utterly-insane-and-we-are-going-to-die'_ when she motioned to the ground below.

My eyes betrayed me and stole a glance at my soon-to-be killer.

I was instantly floored by the sight of Blackthorn and the surrounding areas looking like nothing more than an overhead map, only in stunning depth and color that I could hardly explain. The grand buildings and ancient shines of old were nothing more than miniatures in this small staged model of Johto, everything being small enough to be a replica of the living, breathing town of dragons. Every light in the town was nothing more than a candleflame, shimmering for the two of us in a silent funeral ritual.

I opened my mouth to speak several times, but each attempt was ended with myself closing my mouth like a suffocating Magicarp. Lyra just fell across from me with a small smile of self-satisfaction on her glowing face.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Her voice was calm and steady. Somehow, the sound brought a sweet blanket of peace to shield me from the bitter air of late August. "It's one of my favorite things."

I lifted my head to give her my full attention with a raised eyebrow. "How is this your favorite thing?" A sudden prick of alarm stabbed me and made a horrible image flash in my mind.

There she was, falling to her death as the great bird of fire watched on. She didn't scream or cry out for help as the Kimono Girls and the Ecruteak City Gym Leader watched my rival fall to her death, thrown off the back of the grand phoenix and sentenced to a swift and painful death the moment she met the cobbled streets below.

Despite the fact that I wanted nothing to do with the great bird of rebirth, I found myself racing back to the small village with unsteady breath. My small dot of a rival eventually became clearer in the autumn air as she danced with the falling leaves, ignoring the doom that awaited her as she grew closer to the ground.

I pulled myself out of the memory as the image of Lyra Soul lying on the ground under a tree flashed into view, taunting me with that crooked leg and those shut eyelids that I assumed had covered clouded eyes.

"Lyra Soul," I tried to keep my voice from quivering as she simply waited for me to speak with an odd glint in her eyes. "How in the name of Lugia could you _ever_ enjoy _this_?!" I lifted my chin even higher as she just chuckled at my rational worry. "You were thrown off the back of Ho-Oh, for Lugia's sake! You could have _died_ that day, Lyra! Yet here we are, plummeting to the ground _by choice_ as if it were as simple as jumping on a trampoline!"

She gave me a sad look before shaking her head and squeezing my hands. She let out a deep breath before giving me a cold stare that shot an arrow through my heart.

"That's why I like this. When I was falling off of Ho-Oh, everything flashed before my eyes." I watched on in utter silence as she continued, "Some would say it was terrifying, _scarring_, even. But when I saw my life before me, I realized something."

"What?" My voice was barely above a whisper, making me doubt she could hear me. "What could you possible realize that would make you _want_ to do this?"

Her hazels narrowed until that flame came back to haunt me. That burning flame that I've seen so many times danced in her eyes with a fierce hunger that only Ho-Oh's own flames could rival.

"That no matter what others make me be, whether it be a 'chosen one' or a 'hero', I'm not what they want. In the end, I am Lyra Soul. I will _never _become their little pawn in some grand game of destiny, fates and prophecies, I will be what _I_ choose to be."

Her words just shot a bullet straight through me yet again, leaving me falling there with wide silver coins for eyes. She just closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath as I struggled to collect myself.

_This is what she sees this as, then. _I swallowed hard as I closed my own eyes. _She feels...free. This is her doing what _she_ wants and feeling free from them. This is her moment of absolute control, her calm to her storm._

I angled my head to give her my full attention once again and opened my eyes to find her waiting for me to respond, small embers still smouldering in those hazel pools.

I felt as if it all clicked in my mind.

She had to have brought me here as a way to prove all of those titles wrong at once. A 'chosen one' should not be thrown off the back of the beast they are expected to tame. A 'hero' is not expected to fail and land herself a long six month stint of no action after breaking her left leg and then another six months of specialized therapy to bring the limb back up to full strength. An 'idol' does not throw herself in harm's way just for kicks.

And a 'Champion' does not do such reckless acts as if they were little children, even if they technically _were_ a child**—**well, a teenager.

I felt a grin stretch across my face and a small laugh escaped my lips. Lyra's eyes grew wide for a split second before they returned to a gaze of utter thankfulness. I tightened my grip on her hands as we just exchanged a nod as if we had just finished that momentous battle in Victory Road and realized what we had both struggled to express in that moment.

"I get it." The words finally left my mouth as Lyra pulled us closer together with a small smile. "I get it, Lyra. I _get_ it."

"Good." She smiled even wider and then gave me a nod. "I was hoping you would."

A sudden caw rang out above the sound of the rushing winds. We both looked up and found her Skarmory diving for us as compact as a needle, slicing the air with his sharp beak and his metal helmet. Crobat dove right behind him with a look of concentration, as if he was struggling not to panic.

Lyra just took a deep breath and whistled in that special way of hers that brought her Armor Pokémon straight to her side. The great metal bird dove down until he was under us and then spread his wings wide.

Skarmory popped up under us and caught us on his back, letting out coo after coo and nuzzling his trainer with closed eyes. Crobat soon caught up and gave me coos of his own, rubbing his face all over my cheeks as apology for dropping my rival. I just gave him a pat on the head as forgiveness and watched as Lyra motioned for Skarmory to take us back down the remaining hundred feet to the solid ground.

Steel talons gripped the dirt and churned up grass as he landed on the earth below. Lyra silently slipped off the Pokémon's back and held out her hand with a pleased look. I just smiled and jumped off with a small grunt. Lyra gave her Skarmory a well-deserved thanks and recalled him back with a flash of light. I quickly followed suit and gave my Crobat a rest.

"Well then," My brunette rival grinned and ran a hand through her frizzed hair as if we had just taken a walk through town instead of sky-diving over Blackthorn. "We should get back inside before Nurse Joy finds out we slipped out the window."

I nodded and stuck my sweating hands in my pockets. "Right. The last thing I want to hear is that ditz's comments about..." We both just shuddered at the memory of the pink-haired woman's taunts back in the lobby.

"Yeah," Lyra just laughed and motioned back to our open window. "That's honestly ten-times worse than _anything_ I've ever heard in my life."

I smirked as we walked back to the substitute entrance of our room. "Even worse than the infamous _'talk'_, Marshmallow-Head?"

She just shot me a fierce glare and growled at my mentions of one of life's oddest and most uncomfortable situations. "Don't _ever_ bring that up again." She then jabbed my chest and frowned at me as I struggled not to laugh at her. "I had to endure a three-hour lecture thanks to you and your little _'plan'_ at the Radio Tower."

Heat raced to my face as she walked ahead of me. My feet stopped for a moment as I struggled to come up with a clever retort to that horrible little prompt. After a good two minutes of sputtering, I just settled for the old stand-by.

"It wasn't like _that_! I swear I just didn't want you to be a part of that scum, honest!"

I ran to catch up as she just laughed at my excuse. "Right, and I'm the great Leaf!"

"Shut it, Marshmallow-Head!" She stopped abruptly by our window as I stormed over. "I'll have you know that your so-called _'hero'_ is such a coward that she**—**" I was rudely interrupted by her scarred hand slamming over my mouth.

"Quiet!" I let out a few frustrated sounds as she looked over her shoulder and gave me a glare-and-hiss combo. "Nurse Joy always checks the halls during the late hours for two things, laundry and intruders. If she hears us out here, who _knows_ what might happen."

I shoved her arm down and managed to remove the muzzle over my mouth. I raised an eyebrow and glared at the serious expression on her moonlit face. "Yeah, she'll send out her Chansey and Softboiled us to death." She deadpanned as I waved my hands in the air and imitated Gengar's ghostly wail. "I'm _so_ scared!"

"No," Lyra's eyes were practically daggers as she didn't even so much as blink. "I'm talking press, media attention and parental restrictions on the _both_ of us." I cringed at the last option before snapping my attention back to the other two.

_Media attention. Press. _My mouth opened slightly in furious disgust as her voice rang in my ears. _Oh, so now she's some superstar?! Like that's gonna happen just because she snuck out with me for a few hours..._

_Crap._

"Now then," I jolted out of my thoughts and found her under the window with her fingers laced together, waiting to hoist me up. "Are you going to be sleeping inside tonight, Jerky? I specifically recall someone making quite the fuss this afternoon about _'wild Pokémon'_ and _'danger'_ over staying outside..."

I just let out a huff and stormed over to the window. "I don't need your help, Pigtails." She shot me a look as I thumbed my chest with pride. "You're forgetting that _I'm_ a master thief and an expert at stealthy maneuvers."

"Not something to pride yourself on, redhead." It was frankly surprising how much emotion she could convey while whisper-hissing at me. "Just get your lavender butt inside, will ya'?"

"It's _purple_!"

She just rolled her eyes and shoved my side. "Just get in there!"

"Fine!" I made quite the ferocious hiss before backing up a good five feet to give me space. I then waved her to the left and glared at my target. "Move out of my way so I can get inside, woman!"

"Whatever," She just shrugged and gave me a smug grin. "You'll never make it, Silver."

"Shut it, pesky!"

I then took a deep breath and planned my movements. _A quick dash would give me enough speed to make a long jump to reach the windowsill, and from there it's just easy pickings to scale the side of the wall and get inside of the room._ I grinned as I imagined myself repeating the same routine I used to steal Cyndaquil from Professor Elm. _I'll even have an opportunity to claim the bed!_

"Any time this century would be nice, Silver."

I growled and shot the smart-mouthed rival a scowl before taking a deep breath once again and a few steps backwards. With a springbox start, I ran for the wall. Once I was the required distance away, I hurled myself into the air and reached out for the ledge.

I winced as my hands slammed down on the wooden frame and my legs crashed into the wall. _Ack, not as easy as sneaking in Elm's lab._ With a low hiss of pain, I put my feet against the wall and started to climb.

And by _'started to climb'_, I mean I constantly made myself look like an idiot by not even getting a single ounce of traction on the bottom of my sneakers.

"Crap!" I tried pulling myself up but apparently I had used up all my adrenaline in our fall over Blackthorn. "Stupid wall's too slick to climb."

I looked to my right and found my rival struggling not to burst out laughing at me. As usual, her struggle was in vain. She just let out a roar of laughter as I hung from the window like some Aipom.

"Told you, dummy." She gave me the usual grin before motioning for me to get off the wall. "Get down from there and I'll lift you up the right way."

"No way!" I growled at her and just tried that much harder to get in the window. "I can do this, Marshamallow-Head! Stop laughing at me!"

"Fine then." I raised an eyebrow as her voice no longer sounded as if she was beside me. I looked to my right to find her gone without a trace. "I won't laugh."

"Where the heck are you, Marshmallow-Head**—**"

A sudden pressure against my rear made me scream in embarrassment once again.

"Oh, be quiet!" My face felt as if it would melt off as my rival tried to assist me the same way her Bayleaf had back on the outskirts of the Ilex Forest. "You'll wake the whole village!"

"Watch where you push, idiot!" I tried to shoot her a glare over my shoulder, but I just ended up glaring at my hair. "Have you no guilt over shoving me?!"

"Hmm..." She paused for a minute before laughing at me. "Nope~! I'm just fine down here."

"Well," I let out a huff and turned towards the window. "I for one am _disgusted_ by your lack of boundarie**—**"

My lecture was interrupted by my face being slammed into the floor of our room. I let out a grunt of pain as Lyra simply let out a quiet whoop of joy. I sat up and glared at the window as I rubbed my red cheek. _How dare she shove me inside like a ragdoll!_

"Alright," I stood up and frowned as Lyra was now a good ten feet away from the window and calling back to me with a smile. "Make room for me, Jerky!"

I just crossed my arms and smirked at this childish attempt. "Please, I couldn't make it in without nearly smashing my face in. You'll just end up slamming face-first into the wall and going splat."

Lyra just ignored me and started running full speed ahead to the window. I looked over my shoulder to find Typhlosion giving Lyra's Meganium a harsh rub on his green head, making him let out cries for mercy. _Stupid weakling is always acting so pathetic until he's actually in battle. The second he's out and battling, he's a living nightmare._ Just out of curiosity, I decided to turn back to check on Lyra's failure-in-progress.

My jaw promptly dropped open as she slipped into a handspring and launched herself straight in the air for the window. Panic swept over me as she neatly dove through the open window and headed straight for me, leaving me with only milliseconds until impact.

And let me tell you, it was a _painful_ impact.

"Oi!" Lyra was currently twisted up with me on the floor, the two of us sent rolling backwards by her momentum. "I told you to move, idiot!"

"Well," I blew some of her hair out of my face as I tried to untangle my legs from her left leg and try not to focus on the fact that my rival was squishing me under her like a Body Slam attack gone wrong. "Excuse me for not believing you could do some freaky ninja crap and dive through the window!" She just laughed and lifted her head off my neck**—**and leaving a strange feeling on my exposed skin where the remains of her chuckle echoed**—**before smirking down at me.

"Well, I did warn you."

"Besides," I managed to free my limbs and roll onto my back, only to find myself looking up at her as her hair curled around her shoulders, rebelling with the lack of hair-ties. "Where did you learn to do that, Marshmallow-Head?! That was _ridiculous_!"

She just chuckled before flicking my nose. I rubbed the now red skin with a small roar of discomfort as she rose to her knees.

"Well, when I had that special therapy after breaking my leg, Falkner helped me get over any so-called _'trauma'_ from falling off Ho-Oh's back." She looked wistfully at the ceiling for a moment before shaking her head. "So he taught me a few maneuvers as well as how to do some fancy flying."

A strange feeling rose in my gut at the mention of the blue-haired Gym Leader of Violet City. _So she hung out with that Pretty Boy for a good six months? I bet she loved every minute of _that_. Stupid girl and her stupid luck._ I looked up to find her face twisted into something like regret.

"Excuse me for interrupting, Miss Lyra Soul." My sarcastic tone promptly pulled her out of her strange mood and brought her attention back to the boy she held trapped under her.

"But would you kindly _get your Marshmallow-Butt off of me now_?!"

Her face blossomed a fitting shade of red before she jumped to her feet and scurried to her Meganium's side with a few mutters that sounded like self-scolding. I just rose to my feet and calmly brushed off my jacket as if she had left dirt on my already-dirty clothing.

"Thank you, little brat." I shot her a smirk as she then turned her attention back to her starter. I watched for a moment as she rubbed her cheek on the Pokémon's head, letting out a few small noises as her starter let out babyish coos and calls in return. I shuddered in revulsion before an idea popped into my head.

A devious smirk stretched across my face as my plan unfolded.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Oh, I <em>loved loved loved<em> writing this chapter. This was (in my opinion) the moment that they broke a barrier between them. Silver, has many times needed a calm to his own storm, so to see Lyra's calm was basically a really strong move of trust on her part.**

**Yes, in _HeartGoldHeadcanon!_, Lyra fell off of Ho-Oh and broke her leg. The Kimono Girls and Morty did _indeed _watch her helplessly from the spire of the Bell Tower. It was quite the story, how a girl fell off of the great bird of fire and lived to tell the tale. (Hey, she caught him though!)**

**Lyra found out that instead of traumatizing her, the experience gave her a sense of freedom. Call her an adrenaline junkie or crazy, but she's sky-dived with her Skarmory ever since to calm her down after a rough day.**

**(In case it was unclear, Lyra forced Silver to throw on his jeans and jacket over his undershirt and shorts before they snuck out.)**


	5. Bickering and Bedtimes

**Part V: Bickering and Bedtimes**

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><p>A low moan snapped me out of my little talk with my trusted Gani.<p>

I looked over my shoulder and found my rival holding his gut and moaning as if he was in pain. Curiosity got the best of me and I ended up finding myself walking over with narrowed eyes.

"Redhead, what are you doing?"

"Nngh," Silver looked up with narrowed eyes, his face sweating and his eyes diverted to the ground. "I-I don't know...I just feel like I'm going to hurl and—" He suddenly took a sharp breath followed by a moan. I gulped as Gani looked between us with unease in his golden orbs. "My back is _killing_ me!"

"Calm down," Those few words were more for me instead of him as I slowly made my way to his side. "You're makin' yourself sick." I mentally scolded myself for the slip of the tongue that made me sound as if I was a little ten-year-old again. I slowly lifted his right arm and slung it over my shoulder just seconds before his knees gave out below him.

Luckily, my many years of training experience gave me quite the reflex.

I just grabbed the back of his jacket and pulled him back up with only a slight grunt of effort. I looked up to find Silver's stoic Typhlosion giving us a bored stare as Gani's eyes never left us for a single heartbeat. I jumped slightly as to lift Silver back up and cringed in the low moan he released as he slammed into my side.

"Hey Gani, I could really use some help here."

My starter wasted no time in scrambling to Silver's other side and lifting his other arm over his neck. A low growl escaped his throat at the contact, the poor Herb Pokémon never enjoying _any_ contact with my rival. He lifted him anyway and I gave his frowning face a smile to ease the discomfort. Silver's head just lifted ever so slightly as to look at his Typhlosion. The Volcano Pokémon's eyes suddenly gain a spark of humor and I just frown at the Pokémon's sudden look of amusement.

"Alright," I look at my partner and give him a nod. His gaze immediately sharpens into a look of utter concentration, just as he always gives me before a battle. His nervous quivering stops instantly. "Let's let him lay down so we can figure out what's wrong with him."

Gani nodded and with our combined strength, we managed to let the nauseous rival rest on the lone bed. Silver just groaned and rolled over towards the center of the bed as my mind began to panic.

Sure, I had taken care of him once when he was sick in Azalea Town's outskirts, but that was quite a few years ago. Besides that, taking care of him was so much easier when I knew what was wrong with him. This time, I have no clue as to what's making him sick and only a moaning rival to help me.

"So," I gulped down that nervous feeling and narrowed my eyes at him. "What's wrong with you?" He just let out a moan and rolled over as to not even look at me. I found myself glaring at him and shaking my head. "I can't help you if you're being all dramatic—"

Suddenly, a small eureka moment happened.

I now found myself grinning as I crept up to the bedside. Before either starter could interfere, I launched myself onto the bed. Silver quickly spun around and gave me a look of horror as I came towards him, laughing and grinning like a madwoman.

"Get away from me!" Silver just held me back with both hands on my shoulders and his feet pressing against my gut. "I'll puke on you if you don't get off of this bed right now!"

"Oh, really?" I grinned wider and tried to press my hands against his cheeks. "Seems to me your reflexes are just fine, Jerky!"

"Not uh!" He suddenly kicked me away and started to fake a shiver with red cheeks. He then weakly coughed into his elbow as I sat up on the hard floor and rubbed my sore behind. "See? I'm very sick and I don't want to make you sick, so leave me alone!"

I lifted a single finger with a smirk. "Sick people can't hold off their rival with only their hands and feet, dummy." I felt a surge of pleasure as he gave me a vicious scowl. "Next time, act weak, dum-dum."

"Shut your mouth, pest!"

I just rolled my eyes and stood up with a little help from Gani. "Aw, save it, red." I then let out a yawn and stretched, the eyes of my rival suddenly burning through me. I self-consciously pulled down my jacket and glared at the redhead on the single bed. "Now get your butt of that bed," He slowly smiled at me as I went on, "I'm tired and want to get some sleep. There'll be a mess of people here tomorrow, and I'll bet your cowlick Lance is gonna show up here."

We both cringed at the mention of the red-haired man in the black cape.

Oh sure, Lance and I teamed up to take down a Rocket Base in Mahogany Town a while back—a good year or so ago—but our friendship pretty much stopped once I went back on the road. Lance is a serious individual, always looking for order and perfection in everything around him. I'm more of the go-getter who'd rather travel around and take things head-on instead of wasting time with a plan or two—not that I never plan, that would be foolish. But thanks to the fact that I beat him in the League, he was automatically dubbed my new boss.

And I hope I don't have to explain that I don't do well with orders.

Silver...well, Silver's just a sore loser from what I've gathered so far. Which pretty much is dead-on looking back at our early battles together.

"Sorry, Marshmallow-Head." He waved me off and grabbed some of the blankets, wrapping himself up like a Kakuna. "I'm already on this bed and I'm not moving an inch." He looked over his shoulder at Gani and I and gave us a sneaky grin. "Besides, I always use this bed so it's basically mine. Go sleep on the couch or something."

"No way!" Gani and I let out a collective roar of disagreement as Silver's Typhlosion lumbered over to the foot of the bed and climbed up onto the mattress. The bed groaned under his weight but the Volcano Pokémon ignored it. "I've been walkin' around all day and I'm not gonna sleep on the stinkin' couch!" I ignored my childish voice and continued as Typhlosion shot me a grin. "You get your buttocks out of that bed and go sleep on the couch! I deserve that bed!"

"Typhlo ro lo phlo." Typhlosion just grinned at me as my arms dropped to my side and found a place on my hips. Silver sat up slightly and gave us a confused look as I found myself growling at the Volcano Pokémon.

"Of course I want the bed, Ty! Why wouldn't I want the bed?!"

The great Pokémon just gave me a serious expression and stated in the most formal tone he could manage, "Phlo ro sion ty."

The instant his words left his mouth, my face burst into a vibrant scarlet. Gani beside me let out a quivering roar of disgust as I did the same. "That's just gross! Typhlosion you're such a—ugh!" I just threw my hand into the air and walked over to the couch, diving face-first into the cream cushions. "Forget it, Jerky!" My voice was muffled by the soft surface, so I had to yell even louder. "Keep the bed! I don't even want to _touch_ that thing!"

"What did he say?!" I looked up to find Silver giving me a harsh frown. "What did he say to you? I swear, if he's being inappropriate again, I'll—"

I just lifted my head, folded my arms and glared at the redhead. "He said I wouldn't want the bed because you've wet the bed before." Silver's face lit up a bright crimson shade and sputters leaked out, unable to form words. He gave his head a violent shake as Typhlosion just laughed at us.

"I have not!" His face was so red at this point, I couldn't tell what was hair and what was his face. "I've _never, ever_ wet the bed! Only weaklings wet the bed, weaklings and old people!"

I just laughed and shook my head. "Nah, it's fine. You go ahead and take that bed that you've claimed and I'll just sleep on this nice couch."

The harsh sound of feet slamming against the floor made me smirk. _Perfect,_ I tried to hide my smile as Silver grabbed my shoulder and spun me around to face him. _He took the bait like a good little rival! Figures, he's always so touchy about his pride._

"Look here, Marshmallow-Head," His namesake eyes narrowed and I hid my smirk with a practiced pokerface. "You can say that I'm a jerk," He started listing in front of me, a finger for each claim. "You may call me Psyduck-Butt, you can ruffle my hair like I'm some child, you may _even_ take me skydiving without a parachute," His eyes became furious slits as he finished, "But you _cannot_ say that I wet the bed!"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'll remember this conversation for later use, however I still think you've wet the bed."

He then grabbed my wrist with a growl and flung me towards the bed, earning a laugh from me and a furious roar from Gani. I landed oh so gracefully on my rear and just laughed as he stormed over. Gani closed in with vines at the ready to lash the redhead, but I just called him off with a simple whistle.

Luckily for me, I made the whistle sound similar to a flirtatious whistle, making my sensitive—yes, I'm taking about Silver here—rival blush like he's never blushed before. This of course just made me laugh, and pretty soon Typhlosion was guffawing and rolling on the floor, holding his aching gut and sides.

"Y-You quit that!" Silver snapped his fingers and pointed at me as if I was a Growlithe, but I ignored it. "I did _not_ wet that bed! See?! It's perfectly dry!"

Just to amuse the flustered redhead, I rubbed my hands on the mattress and let out a small hum of judgement. "Hmm, it seems dry enough..." I slowly wrapped my fingers around the comforter and slipped my left hand behind my back. "And it seems quite comfortable up here instead of that lumpy couch..." I made a slightly saddened face at my rival, causing him to make a face of discomfort.

"Look," Silver gave me a harsh glare and pointed to the floor. "If it makes you feel better, you can let every single _one_ of your Pokémon out to sleep with you." I grinned as he rubbed the back of his head and went on, "You _did_ say that you enjoy letting them out of their Pokéballs at night and I'll let them keep you company."

"Really?!" I let my face light up with excitement—another trained trick of mine—and beamed at him. "Thank you so much, Silvy!"

"S-Silvy?!" He jolted at the nickname but he shook it off in time. Meanwhile, I tapped each and every one of my Pokéballs on my belt as to tell them to come on out.

What? A girl _always_ keeps her Pokémon under her sleepwear just in case of a midnight battle or a situation that requires your Pokémon's assistance. ...Or, perhaps I'm the only one who'd ever think to do such a thing.

A blinding flash of light engulfed the room. Silver covered his eyes with his jacket sleeves and let out a roar of confusion as Typhlosion and Gani looked at me in confusion. Once the dazzling lights faded away, Silver lowered his arms and found a sight out of his nightmares.

My whole team was sitting on the bed with happy grins, eager to be out of their Pokéballs.

Mismagius floated above the bed for a few moments before flying around the room with a laugh, happy to see my rival and of course, the prospect of seeing his Gengar. She stopped in mid-flight to phase through my rival and laugh, earning a shiver and a stuttered complaint.

Skarmory was of course curled up on the bottom of the bed with his eyes trained on the lone Fire Type in the room. Even after meeting Ho-Oh over a year ago, he never trusted Fire Types. It actually made since, seeing as Ho-Oh got agitated and flung me off of his back and all.

My graceful Water Type, an elegant Milotic, slithered off the bed with a low coo. She was mostly looking for the best place to curl up and lay down. I never understood how she could be on land so often, but she seemed to be alright with land travel.

The newest addition to my team, a short blue Pokémon, was sitting in my lap with a grin. He was a species straight from Sinnoh, and quite the little fighter already. This little Pokémon was a Riolu, a special Pokémon that could sense the aura of those around him. He seemed not to care that a stranger was in the room, however, he just played with my pigtails-lacking hair.

The final member of my team was staring at my rival with a growl, utterly infuriated by the redhead's presence yet again. He let out a small roar of warning before nipping the air near my poor rival. Silver took quite a few steps back before giving Glaceon a scowl.

"Glace, Gani, Serene, Rilu, Skar and Magi," All of my Pokémon turned to face me within seconds of their names being called, making me smile at their vibrant eyes. "As you know, this redhead here is our little rival—"

"How are you calling _little_, shorty?!"

I simply shot Silver a look before continuing, "You are under strict rules as to _not_ eat him in his sleep. Silver here is to be treated as an important guest in our presence, so don't go biting him and stuff while I sleep."

"Yeah," Silver quickly looked around and gave each and every Pokémon a glare. "You'd better not try _anything_, little pests! I'll be watching you all night as to make sure!"

"Silver," I lowered my voice and suddenly found myself yawning. Rilu gave me a startled look in my lap before I went on, "Why don't you let _your_ Pokémon out?" He gave me a look of bewilderment as I tried to explain. "If everyone's Pokémon are out of their Pokéballs, they'll all be very happy. Besides," I shot him a knowing look and finished, "I already know that you let them out when you sleep."

Total shock flashed across his face as I let out a snicker.

True, I had caught my rival letting his Pokémon out in the middle of the night and then tucking himself in. At first, I was expecting evening training. After all, I'm pretty famous for my nocturnal training regiments and my sleep-lacking habit of staying up all night long with my Pokémon. In fact, I've held a record of not sleeping for more than four hours over a span of three days.

Although, going for so long without sleep was _not_ my intention. Things were just...difficult at that time.

"You," I snapped out of my thoughts to find my rival holding the remaining five of his Pokéballs in hand. "Are one sneaky little pest. I'll have you know that if speak a word of this to anyone, I _will_ make you life a living nightmare." I just shrugged and grinned at him.

"Well, let them out!"

He let out a magnificent sigh before hurling the capsules high. Every Pokémon in the room turned and watched as vibrant light lit up the shrinking space. Five Pokémon hit the floor with a snicker and a few mutters, some of them obviously just woken up.

Alakazam gave us all a glare of disapproval before going off to a remote corner of the room and crossing his legs. Suddenly, he began to float in the air with his eyes closed. Silver and I watched as his meditation turned into loud snores. I just tilted my head to the side and tried to hold in a laugh. _Someone's grumpy!_

Gengar looked around with excitement before floating over to Magi. The two Ghost Types exchanged a few words before slipping into the shadows inside the room and hiding from our sight.

Magneton, however, looked around with bored eyes before heading to the television and floating down to the floor. I couldn't really tell what he was doing, but I assumed that he was trying to sleep.

Crobat grinned before fluttering over to the headboard and gripping the wood between his feet and nodding off without even so much as a squeak.

Sneasel, being the tiny little trickster he was, immediately headed to Glaceon and started poking him all over his face and sides. My Fresh Snow Pokémon let out barks of agitation before spinning around and trying to nip the Sharp Claw Pokémon at every turn. Silver smirked and tried to hold in a chuckle or two as the crafty Sneasel just laughed at Glaceon and headed over to see me.

"Why, hello there, Snea!" I patted the short Pokémon just as Glaceon fell over from spinning around too much. Sneasel let out a few happy chirps and nuzzled my hand with a grin. "How have you been doing lately?"

He gave me a cheerful yip before pushing his way into my lap and sitting down beside Rilu. My Emanation Pokémon gave the Sharp Claw Pokémon a nervous squeak before squishing himself closer to me. Sneasel just chirped and patted the smaller Pokémon on the head.

"Well then," Silver looked around at all of our Pokémon and sighed. "That certainly made this room seem quite a bit smaller." He glanced back to me and frowned. "Why couldn't you have small and fluffy Pokémon like normal girls?"

"Because I just so happen to like what I like, Sir Judgmental." He gave me a look that basically meant _'you-can't-be-serious'_ before sighing once again. I gave him a hard glare before he let out yet another exasperated sigh.

"Just what is your problem, Silver?" I gave him a glare and shifted in my spot. "You sound like you can't breathe."

"There's nowhere to sleep, genius!" He pointed to the couch and I blinked as Serene's long body took up every inch of the couch—and then some. "Your _'beautiful'_ Water Type is hogging it all!"

"Umm," I tried to think of something just as Sneasel patted the space in front of me.

"Snea! Snea sel snea snea~"

I blushed at the Pokémon's smug idea and shook my head. Silver, being the Pokémonly-challenged person he is, simply blinked at us before pointing at his Sneasel.

"Alright, what was his big idea _this_ time?"

I slowly lifted my head as I tried to calm myself down. My heart was beating a mile a minute right now, and it was all because a Pokémon said _one_ little thing. Man, I'm getting really bad...

"Sneasel...well," I tried to find the words to say as he continued to glare and us. "He suggested that we share the bed and just call it a night." Our faces both lit up and I shook my head to prevent my mind from thinking too long about it.

"That's..." He tried to yell in disgust before he simply let out a sigh and threw his hands up. My eyes grew wide as he trudged over to the other side of the bed and flopped on the mattress. I scooted over a bit just seconds before he lifted his head and looked up at me with a serious expression, his hair shielding those bright eyes of his.

"Look, I know this seems stupid, but I'm too tired to do anything else. All that faking being sick made me feel like I was about to just conk out, so I'd just go with it for once."

"Are you _kidding_ me?!" I found my voice to be a desperate yelp at this point. "What about your pride?! You never even so much as _sit_ by me most days, let alone sleep next to me!" Silver just pulled himself up and narrowed his eyes at me. Sneasel jumped out of my arms and raced to his trainer's side. A few yips rang out and Glaceon jumped to his paws.

We both turned to find the Fresh Snow Pokémon growling with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Silver and I exchanged a nervous glance before turning back to the approaching Ice Type. Silver backed up a considerable amount and pressed his back against the headboard before turning to me with a glare.

"Don't just sit there, _do_ something!"

I gulped down a bit of nervousness and held out a hand to my growling partner. "Stop it, Glace! Silver's a _friend_, not _lunch_!" Teal eyes snapped to my face before darting back to the redheaded rival beside me. I growled in frustration and shifted the sleeping—who must have fallen asleep some time before Silver got up here—Rilu in my arms and tried again.

"Glaceon, I'm letting him stay up here!"

Two sets of eyes blinked for a moment before slowly turning towards me. I frowned in a stubborn attempt at shielding my pride—which did _not_ want to share a bed with my fluffy-haired rival—from this one event. I looked between a blushing rival and a confused partner before continuing on with my scolding.

"If you are concerned for my personal space—which I would be as well, seeing as he's been known to get grabby," Silver let out a few sputters of protest at my side comment, but I went on unamused. "You may sleep between us. The only rule is _not_ to antagonize Silver or to bite him _unless _I say so."

Glaceon let out a howl of protest but I just shot him a firm look—as much as it hurt to do so. His tail drooped and a low sigh filled the room as the Fresh Snow Pokémon waddled up to the space between us and laid down. I smiled as he hid his nose behind his paw and lowered his raised scruff.

"Wow," I looked over to find Silver giving the Ice Type a wide berth and a look of amazement. "I never realized that you could take charge like that."

"Pah!" I laughed a bit and threw some of my hair over my shoulder with a smirk. "You think I became the Champion with just my good looks?" I batted my eyelashes at him before I went on, "I creamed every Gym Leader in Johto, tamed a great bird of fire, caught the attention of one of said great bird's messengers, kicked Team Rocket back down into the hole they crawled out from and finally, kicked Lance's royal butt and became the new Champion." He gave me an irritated look before I finished up my little show.

"In case you've forgotten, my thieving rival, I happen to be the strongest person in all of Johto! I take charge because I _am_ in charge."

He just rolled those metallic orbs of his and pulled on the comforter. "Can we skip all of this chit-chat and go to sleep? I'm freezing cold and tired!"

"Oh!" At the mention of being cold, I looked to the window. Sure enough, we left it open to invite all of the frozen air inside of our cozy room in the Pokémon Center. "We forgot to close the window."

"So that's why I'm growing a pair of chopsticks right now."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, Silv!" I just laughed and slipped out of bed. With quick feet, I reached the window and slammed it shut. The room gave me a few dirty looks of annoyance before I locked the window back up and headed back to bed. I stifled a laugh when I found Silver under the blankets up to his chin, Sneasel right beside him equally as cozy, Glaceon curled up between my indentation and the snoozing Sneasel and Rilu fast asleep right where I was moments before.

"There," My voice was barely a whisper as I gently lifted Rilu and crawled in bed. I snuggled up under the blankets, tucked Rilu in beside Glace and then turned to give my rival a pat on the head. An annoyed grunt proved he was still awake and I just chuckled and fixed the pillow I was going to share with Rilu. "That should do the trick."

"Yeah," A yawn cut between Silver's words as he rolled away from my side and presumably closed his eyes. "Whatever. Just don't keep me up all night, you nocturnal pest."

"And goodnight to you to, Silver."

With a heavy sigh, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Ah, what ever shall we do with these two? I swear, one minute they're perfectly happy and being really sweet, the next minute they're pulling these stupid things just to claim the bed. Well, now they have to share it. I'm certain Lyra would've let him share if he just <em>asked<em> for once...**

**So, we get to meet all of Lyra's team! She does own a Togekiss of course, but he's currently at Elm's place to allow a bit of research on his rare species. Elm's always been curious about Togi... Silver's team is the same despite Typhlosion instead of Feraligatr. (Don't worry, Big Blue! We all still love you!)**

**Side note: Don't have any idea how many times I said Pokémon in this chapter, but it's probably a new record.**


	6. Flames of Failure—the Sting of Regret

**Part VI: Flames of Failure—and the Sting of Regret**

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><p>The leaves above my head seemed to be swaying in an uneasy rhythm, rustling and shivering from their branches. The greens around me slowly became yellows and browns as even the skies above turned a hideous shade of acidic yellow.<p>

No, that acidic smell was familiar.

My eyes widened as a sudden guest burst into the path, bringing harsh smoke along with it. I cringed and covered my mouth with my jacket sleeve as I tried to make sense of the situation. Looking up, I found my worst nightmare before me.

Standing before me was once again that strange man in a strange armored yukata in a bold shade of orange, grinning at me as he closed his right hand in a fist and flaunted the back of his pale hand to my face. Burned into his skin was the same mark on Lyra's hand, that heart-shaped mark that seemed to mean something much more than she let on.

The man's orange hair rustled in the wind as a few golden feathers in his carrot locks swayed with them, dancing on his head and standing out like the flames of a candle.

_"Tick tock, young one." _A voice echoed around me, seemingly everywhere at once and never having a direct location of origin. _"Your time is running out."_

I seemed to lose my voice as the man disappeared in the blink of an eye. Unnerved by the man's appearance, I found myself dashing away on dying grass. Yellowed blades turned to black ash as I neared a small clearing. Rank, acidic air slammed into my lungs and attempted to suffocate me from the inside, trying to sabotage my efforts. Coughing from the irritation in my throat, I stopped in the center of the clearing.

I immediately wished I hadn't.

Suddenly, great flames surrounded this small patch inside of the forest, creating a single circle of dying greens in a sea of scarlet and orange. Panic set in as I frantically searched for an exit.

_"No way out,"_ The mysterious voice engulfed me once again, yet no one was here. _"There's no way out."_

I grabbed the sides of my head as a sudden pain emerged. A silent scream slipped out as I fell to my knees. _What was going on? What should I do? I'm trapped here, trapped inside of this fire with no way to escape. I'll die in here, I'll die._

The flames swirled with an unusal speed as the seemed to twist and turn around the surrounding trees. Crackling like breaking firewood filled the air as branched were unceremoniously clipped from great oaks and sent crashing to the dead grasses. The infant flames slowly took their first steps on land, learning how to walk on the yellow grass. I could only watch as they headed for me in an agonizingly slow pursuit.

_"Oh, such a shame,"_ The voice almost sounded as if he was inches away from laughing, making tears jump to my eyes and frustration burn under my skin. _"Such a shame. What a sad little boy, all alone as the trees burn. He's all alone, all alone."_

The words stung in my chest as a quiet and echoing laugh resonated through the clearing. _All alone,_ The words danced in victory in my mind, prancing as if little children in a schoolyard. _He's all alone. Oh, he's all alone._

My breathing slowly became nothing but empty inhales and heavy exhales, unable to take this pressure on my chest. _All alone, all alone._ My mind began to fog as those words stuck out like a gruesome flesh wound. _Oh, such a sad little boy, all alone in the burning woods._ This voice in my head was no longer mine, but a voice long ago heard but never forgotten.

_All alone,_ The voice mocked me as my knees gave out and I crashed to the ground. _He's all alone. What a shame. Such a shame. This poor little boy is all alone._ That voice, that terrible voice! It never seemed to shut up. It was always there, always yelling and always laughing. _Just like his father; worthless, worthless. He's nothing in this world, nothing at all. Let him burn in the fires of justice! Let him burn!_

Numbly, I looked up and found that man standing in front of me with the flames reflected in his blood-red eyes. Orange swam with self-satisfaction and savage bliss at the sight of the poor, unfortunate boy before him. _"Such a shame."_ The echoing voice, so deep and quiet came back with a deadly calm that sent horror down my spine. _"Oh, it's such a shame."_

My eyes watched as his mouth slowly moved with smooth motions, sending the black choker on his throat into a small dance of expansion and contraction. _"He's all alone here, all alone. What ever shall he do? What ever shall he do?"_ Crimson eyes focused on my quivering hands as the tears stung against my skin and left dark stains on my pants.

A single blink and the man with golden feathers in his hair disappeared. In his place was that dreaded figure, the boy with a jacket that seemed dyed with blood. A sinister grin was on his face as his eyes evaded my sight, hiding in the unyielding shadow under his cap's brim. "He's all alone," That dreaded voice came back, quiet and somehow able to become louder than even the most frustrated Steelix. "Oh, that poor little boy is all alone."

Another blink, another torturer.

This time that familiar figure stood before me with a smirk of confidence. All of my choking insides wanted me to reach out, reach out to them for help. But I knew better by now. This person wouldn't help a pathetic boy who's all alone. This figure relished in my misery.

"All alone," The sweet song became a merciless taunt. "Oh, this little boy is all alone as the forest burns. Will no one help him? Will no one protect him from these great flames?" Brunette locks fluttered in slow-motion as her eyes narrowed. Hazel pools of gasoline set off the spark of orange that forever hid in her, waiting to ignite.

I blinked one last time and found her gone once again, leaving me alone. Pressure on my chest had now become pressure on every inch of my body, forcing me to lie down on the putrid grass as the acidic sky above gleamed with orange Volbeat. Ragged breathing was the only sound as I shut my eyes and listened for the fires of destruction.

_"The winds of new beginnings are still blowing. Oh, they're still blowing all around us."_ The quiet voice murmured in my ears as I curled up in the bleached grass. _"The great bird of rebirth is here. The great bird is here to watch over all. A great evil has risen from their ashes and been sent back to whence they came. The great evil has become nothing but ashes on the wind. The chosen one has soothed the great bird of fire and parched his thirst for battle. The chosen one has incinerated the great evil and left not a single one of their kind standing in this world."_

_"The chosen one has burned across the land, seeking out the great evil and ridding the land of their vile ways. Ashes have returned to ashes, as they should always remain. The great evil did indeed rise to plague man and Pokémon, but the flames of the great bird of fire and his chosen one have rid the world of their dreaded mark."_

I took a shaking breath as the words slipped in my mind and bounced endlessly, returning with more force and slamming inside my skull. These words made no sense to me, not one bit. These words somehow thrust a stake of fear in my heart, sending me into a nervous shiver that nothing seemed to stop.

_"The flames of the chosen one burn on, searching for any remaining evils. True, though the great evil has been destroyed, the mark of evil is still in the land. Behold! For the great evil's mark is still alive! The dark blot of their vile ways stains crimson on this fertile soil! The tainted soul and the pure heart can never merge! The black ink of the evil runs through the veins of one lone survivor! Hark, the great bird cries out against this impurity! The flames of the chosen one must rage on, they must!"_

The searing heat of scarlet tongues inched ever closer to my fetal curl, my lone defense I still held. Shaking breathing had become desperate inhales that brought nothing but a tightness to my lungs, nothing but harsh smoke and sharp lack of oxygen. The voice's once quiet demeanor had now become a punishing screech, crying loudly in this boiling air.

_"Behold! The dark stain of his evil is before us! This lone survivor thinks that by hiding in the shadows, he may be spared the great bird's wrath. No! Justice will prevail against the wicked! The blackened heart will cease to beat and pump vile evil through his body. The chosen one will come upon him and destroy him with her flames of purity. Justice will prevail! The great phoenix and his chosen one shall reign above all! They shall rage across the land and obliterate the remaining evil! The wicked have nowhere to hide from the flames of judgment!"_

Slowly, desperate breathing stalled until not a single inhale rang above the murmur of flames and the yells of the lone voice. The tight pain dulled and became nothing but a welcoming pressure. A quiet beckoning tugged at me, trying to bid me to join the growing black in my mind. With a last exhale, I felt the tickle of flames against my outstretched right hand.

_"Justice shall prevail. The chosen one will burn across the land and destroy the remains of the wicked. Nothing shall be left to stand before the great phoenix of rebirth. Nothing shall be left to plague the land. All evil shall be burned until nothing but ashes remain."_

_"Justice will rain upon the wicked and strike them where they stand."_

As the darkness took over every choking part of me, a lone thought found its way out of the dead depths of my mind. A small smile found a place on my sweating face as the tickling sensation spread to my legs and my chest.

_But what will become of the poor boy, the poor boy who is all alone in the burning woods?_

To my surprise, the voice of great fury answered my last thought.

_"The boy shall be found by the chosen one and the great bird of rebirth! There is nowhere he may hide from the justice that awaits him. Guilty blood shall cease to flow and the great evil shall cease to exist."_

_"That poor boy, all alone in the woods as they burn around him, _is_ the great evil!"_

* * *

><p>Gasping for air, I jolted awake with sweat dripping from my face. Cold fear raced through my viens as the darkness surrounded me. A light pressure was still on my lower half, pushing against my legs and making a numb feeling rise from the waist down. Trapped in a whirlpool of panic, I scanned the room. Nothing but pitch-black awaited my sight and the panic rose into an all-consuming desperation. My mind whirled and gave no answers as I tried to decode my situation.<p>

A low creak beside me made me jump with a squeak of fear.

My eyes jumped to the location of the sound and found that a single beam of moonlight slipped beside me and illuminated a serene face. My heartbeat, once racing out of control, now slowed to a normal pace as I recognized the thin eyebrows and thick lashes of my rival's face.

_It was all a nightmare_. I ran a hand through my hair and tried to regain a normal rate of breathing. _It was all just a terrible nightmare. I'm not on fire, I'm not dying. I'm simply in a bed beside my rival with a Glaceon acting as a barrier between us._ At the thought of the short Pokémon, I took a double-take.

I raised an eyebrow with surprise as I found that my rival's supposed guardian was nowhere to be found between us. I sat up ever so slightly and found that her newest addition was also missing from the bed. Feeling slightly disturbed by this, I looked to my right. Where Sneasel once slept beside me was nothing but twisted fabric.

_Alright,_ I looked up as a last observation and found that Crobat was also missing from his post. _Where the heck are our Pokémon? Those little pests were just here when I fell asleep and suddenly they're missing in action._

Feeling slightly unnerved by this, I decided to take a look over the edge of the bed. The instant I looked over the edge, relief flooded my systems. Lying on the floor beside my large Typhlosion was both Sneasel and Lyra's strange blue midget, sleeping side-by-side with smiles on their faces. My stolen starter's neck flames illuminated the surrounding Pokémon of both parties, bringing a much-needed relief to my system.

_They're just sleeping beside Typhlosion._ I let out a quiet sigh and rested my back against the cold wood of the headboard. Closing my eyes, I just focused on breathing a normal rhythm. Counting the seconds between each inhale and exhale, I looked back to the sleeping rival on my left. I focused on her peaceful face and felt a twinge of envy in my chest.

_I bet you don't have any nightmares, chosen one._ The words of that nightmare still rang in my ears. The mocking voices and the strange man still were locked in my mind and grinning at me with sickening joy in my pain. _You don't have to worry about anything, do you? You never have nightmares about fire that leave you awake for hours. You never have strange people yelling at you and speaking in riddles while you burn with a dying forest._

"Nngh," A small sound escaped her slumber as she rolled a bit closer to my side of the bed. Agitation rose in my throat as she stopped right beside me with her face looking straight up at me. Her mouth quivered in her sleep as eyelids fluttered with some hidden dream. I just sighed and looked away.

My attention was brought back to my left when a sudden burning sensation returned to my left hand. I flinched and snapped my eyes towards my hand and found my own hand right against the burn on my rival's hand, the strange discoloration somehow seeming to glow in the sheer darkness of the bed.

I just scowled at the burn on her hand and yanked my own away with a glare. I then shifted in my spot and tried to lay back down. I stopped just inches of my pillow when a sudden stab of fear hit me once again. _I can't go back to sleep._ Panic set in as the images of the flames flashed in my mind. _If I fall back asleep again, I'll just end up going through that all over again. I've been through that once and have _no_ intentions of doing that mess all over again._

Instead, I brought my knees to my chest and rubbed my temples. _Don't fall asleep and you'll be safe, Silver. The flames can't reach you if you're awake. That man...that horrible man and that boy with the red jacket...they can't get you when you're awake. You'll be safe, Silver. Stay awake._

Springs creaked as my rival once again rolled in her sleep, this time aided by the low dip near me. I cringed as her small form crashed into my side and rested between my hip and the surface of the mattress. Slowly, I glanced over and gave the mobile girl a harsh glare. _Not like you care, Lyra Soul. You're too busy with your own little world to ever care about..._ I stopped as her face contorted into a frown and her hands gripped the sheets until her knuckles were painted white.

_You're too busy to care about a poor little boy like me._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Ugh, this is an angst chapter. I've suddenly realized that I seem to have a flair for nightmare sequences in my writing... Perhaps it's because of the vivid nightmares I've had in my life and the dreams that make no sense that I have almost every night. I think that I should tell you that symbolism is everywhere in this chapter, and the strange man isn't actually a man. (He's something quite popular in the Pokémon fandom, actually.)<strong>


	7. The Flames Of the Chosen One Shall Burn

**Part VII: The Flames of the Chosen Shall Burn—and Turn all Bonds to Ash**

* * *

><p>Total darkness overwhelmed me as I walked on this familiar path. Dark shadows shifted around me, creeping closer only to disappear and dissipate as I walked past them. The strange scar on my hand, the mark of the chosen one, lead the way as I walked down this seemingly endless corridor. Faint light floated at the end, beckoning me on with the promise of escaping this dismal road. Only, I knew that the light wasn't my way out.<p>

That light was what kept me here.

I stopped dead in my tracks as the light grew ever closer and shimmered with golden sparkles drifting down to the floor. My eyes narrowed in both an effort to shield them from the radiant light and out of annoyance as the soft gold took the shape of a tall man and burst in front of me.

_"I wouldn't hold such a frightening face for so long, my dear." _A small smirk formed on his pale face as vibrant locks the color of fire itself swayed on his head. Bright golden plumes took center-stage on his head, acting as his crown to show the world his mighty status. _"It would be such a shame if your face remained in such a position."_

"Perhaps I wouldn't make faces if you didn't constantly summon me every time I close my eyes." I gave the tall male a look of defiance as his crimson orbs locked on my own. Speaking to one such as him would terrify any other human in my shoes, as well as most Pokémon too. It took guts to speak to such an imposing figure with such boldness.

Either guts, or utter stupidity. It depends on who you ask.

His smile faded as the shadows began to burn away, almost as if they were part of an old film roll that was being burned by the projector. _"You know very well that your role as my chosen one creates a strong bond between us. How and when I summon your presence is entirely up to me, not some petty human sleep cycle."_ I held back a nasty retort and instead just took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

By the time I opened them again, we were no longer standing in a dark tunnel. All around me, a replica of the Bellchime Path surrounded us with vivid reds, piercing golds and burning oranges. The leaves under my feet crunched as I shifted my golden slippers on the autumn grasses. My hair seemed to tickle the back of my neck as I once again found myself in an outfit that mimicked the Kimono Girls' finest silks and the armor that Ho-Oh wore on his own yukata. The sash at my waist seemed to cut off the circulation to my legs as I stood under his judgmental gaze.

"But this never ends." I had to count in my mind and remind myself not to snap at this great bird of fire again. "I'm always here when I close my eyes, looking you straight in the eye." I narrowed my own as one of his orange eyebrows rose with interest. "I thought when you threw me off that you were done with me."

_"If I was done with you, Soul," _A pale hand reached out and dropped roughly on my right shoulder. Crimson eyes narrowed and stood out against black rings as he glared at my unrest. _"I would have let you fall to your death and been done with the whole thing. Instead, I shielded your pathetic form with my power and let you live to see another sunrise."_

"A sunrise a week later with a broken leg to show for it."

Amusement sparkled in his eyes before he shut them with a heavy exhale. _"Perhaps that will teach you to mind your tongue on the back of a great phoenix. I chose _you_, not the other way around. You are my servant such as my messengers are, not my master."_

I bitterly looked to my left and let myself release a mutter. "Yeah, I'm well aware of that." A small chuckle rang out for a split second before I snapped back to the towering figure and glared at the black rings around his bloody eyes. "Why did you call me anyway? Did you just want to keep me from sleeping?"

The grand figure took a deep breath and dropped a heavy feeling of dread into my gut. _"A great evil shall rise_**—**_"_

"Shall rise from their ashes and plague us all." I cut him off and finished for him. I tried to ignore the sharp daggers thrown my way and continue on with the often-repeated words. "Flames of the chosen one blah blah shall wipe them out and return them to ashes and whatnot." I gave the great bird of rebirth a glare as he folded his powerful arms across his chest. "I'm well aware of the prophecy, oh great phoenix."

_"Then you should realize when a great evil sleeps under your very nose, my dear."_

I stood there as the leaves continued to swirl around us, my mouth gawking at the merciless bird before me. "Oh my Ho-Oh!" The tall figure let out a cough and shot me a glare of disapproval at my exclamation, but I simply focused on myself. "You can't be serious, Ho-Oh**—**"

_"The great evil must be destroyed, that is what I have told you from the very beginning." _Crimson locks merged with orange ones as the lightened streaks raced down to cover eyes of fury. _"The great evil rose and was indeed incinerated by your flames of wrath, fueled by my own fires of justice. You have indeed done a great service to your kind and the kind of Pokémon, that cannot be ignored."_

"Then why do you keep pressing this**—**"

_"However,"_ He simply cut me off with a raise of his pale hand, flashing the matching mark of his on his right hand. _"You have failed to rid the world of the most potent of the evil, the offspring of the great evil himself."_ I felt my eye twitch as he went on with this repeated scolding. _"How can you neglect to bring the blood of the wicked to justice? Instead, you lie with the wicked and taint yourself with_**—**_"_

My face burned as I cut him off right there. "No no no no no! I am simply _sleeping beside him_, nothing more." I found myself using exaggerated motions to strain my point. "I am perfectly fine and he is an acceptable distance from me, no tainting going on!" My eyes narrowed into slits of anger as my inner flame found a source of fuel. "Silver is not the enemy, I've told you before**—**"

_"Your 'Silver' is the son of the catalyst to so much pain and suffering."_ Red eyes burned through my face as he seemed to loom over me. _"He is nothing more than the lingering shadow of his father, nothing more. You know that he is, you've seen his evil firsthand."_

"I'm not listening to you," I found myself covering my ears and closing my eyes at his words. "I'm going to count to three and when I finish, I'll wake up." I took a deep breath and tried to calm the pain in my chest and the frantic throbbing of my heart. "One..."

_"Lyra Soul, you uncover your ears this instant! This is not the way a chosen one behaves in the presence of their master!"_ Ho-Oh's voice found a way into my mind as my fingers twisted in my loose chocolate locks. _"Stop behaving like such a child and accept the facts!"_

"Two..." I continued on, ignoring his threats and his pounding words.

_"That boy is nothing but the shadow of the wicked! There is no changing the wicked into the pure, only changing the pure into the wicked! If you continue to hold such a bond with that boy, he will end up corrupting your heart! You must separate yourself from the darkness and shine brighter than the flames of wrath, bringing all shadows to their final judgment!"_

"Three."

* * *

><p>Just as I told the great bird of fire, I woke up the instant I had finished counting. A pounding in my skull and the burning of my scar reminded my fogged mind of Ho-Oh's words and made me scowl. <em>He's just a big ol' bird. He doesn't even know Silver. Judging someone solely based on their parents is certainly going against the whole 'rebirth' thing he's in charge of.<em>

My eyes slowly focused on what was in front of my face. Nothing but an empty black was before me, the darkness both warm and soothing. A feeling of comfort washed over me as I pulled my legs up closer to my chest, curling on my side. _He doesn't know what he's rambling about. Silver is not wicked. Silver is not evil. His father may have been wicked, but Silver is nothing like his father._

My movement stopped when my knees bumped into something. That 'warm darkness' in front of me shifted before rolling over towards me. Panic flooded my systems as I realized that the supposed black that I was looking at was my rival's back. A rush flooded my veins as I tried to roll away. I was _not _going to fall victim to that age-old cliché that commonly followed suit. With a slightly panicked grunt, I tried to roll away to my left.

Unfortunately for me, my sleeping rival did the same and oh so conveniently dropped his right arm over me. I froze as he then tried to tug me closer to him as he tried to recall the limb to his side. My face felt as if it was on fire as the shifting springs grew closer before falling silent. My heart pounded out of my chest as a low murmur escaped his lips and warm air slammed into my neck.

_Oh, please no._ My eyes grew wide as the grip tightened and a light pressure pressed against my back. _Oh, please don't hold me. This is just so humiliating and I cannot handle such things, you pest! Let me go!_ I gave a half-hearted squirm before letting out a sigh. If my rival could be famous for one thing, it would be his grip. I was basically a Rattata in the claws of a sleeping Persian at this point.

_Oh, of course you grabbed me in your sleep._ I rolled my eyes and pouted silently as my face continued to burn. _Why wouldn't you cuddle with the girl you half-hate and have a complicated friendship with? After all, what's the fun in just sleeping on your own side of the bed when your rival's side is _so_ much more inviting?!_

"...Nngh," I could have sworn that my heart stopped beating when my rival shifted yet again. "...if...stupid...me." Quiet mumbles met my burning ears as I tried to ignore the fact that my rival was basically sleep-talking in my ear. _And now you're going to talk. That's very lovely, dear rival. Why don't you blab you biggest secret or something so I could feel all guilty about it?_

Resisting the urge to bring a fist down on his head like an alarm clock and wake him up, I closed my eyes and tried to count in an effort to calm myself. _One, my rival is a jerk. Two, my rival has no concept of personal space. Three, my rival has burning red hair that seems to ignite in the sun's light. Four, he has eyes that can look straight through you and leave you guessing. Five, he never uses your actual name and prefers to call you insults. Six, he is not evil, despite what others may think of him. Seven, my rival smells like Red Apricorns and the cold water from a lake inside a cavern. Eight, my rival has strong arms that could rival even Chuck in a contest of grips._

I found my eyelids growing quite heavy as a smile found its way on my face. _Nine, my rival is actually an inch shorter than me and I relish in that fact. Ten, my rival has a cowlick that bobs up and down as he walks. Eleven, my rival has a pleasant smile. Twelve, my rival pretends not to care about me even though I know he does. Thirteen, my rival was the first to help me when I broke my leg. Fourteen, my rival visited me in the hospital every day until I woke up. Fifteen, he still doesn't know that I realize he sent me those flowers. Sixteen, my rival challenges me in everything from Pokémon to racing. Seventeen, my rival is far more attractive than Falkner, despite what Whitney thinks. Eighteen, I would gladly stay his rival until we're all old people._

My thoughts had a mind of their own as I finished my counting.

_Nineteen, my rival has more than once called me 'Marshmallow-Butt' and I have caught him staring at that general area more than once. Twenty, my rival's jacket does _not_ cover the seat of his pants, despite what he thinks. Twenty-One, my rival does not hate me, even though he tries to hide it. Twenty-Two, I think of my rival far too much to be normal. Twenty-Three, I commonly imagine what I would do if my rival jumped out of the bushes to challenge me and most of them do not include battling. Twenty-Four, if given an option to go on a date with Falkner or my rival, I would choose my rival faster than I could blink._

_Twenty-Five, I'm in love with my rival._

It was right after this thought escaped the corners of my mind that I fell asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Crap! I forgot my author's note! <strong>

**Looks like we have a bit of the inside of Lyra's mind, eh? And there's yet another encounter with Ho-Oh the jerkface! He's not the most merciful of legendarys, is he? Well, it seems the fluff at the end makes things a little better, eh? (Why do I keep saying 'eh' so much?) Looks like yet another mention of the great Falkner...wonder why Lyra keeps bringing up the Bird Tamer/Bird Master/Samurai..? We'll soon find out, my dear readers!**


	8. Awkward Wake-Up Calls

**Part VIII: Awkward Wake-Up Calls**

* * *

><p>The soft sound of rustling blankets met my ears long before my eyes decided to forfeit sleep and accept the fact that morning had returned. The room was completely silent, just as it was every morning. Still, this silence seemed almost unnatural, for something about it just seemed to make my heart pound. A heavy weight pressed against my chest, which I decided must be Sneasel once again curling up beside me.<p>

A sudden hot blast of air hitting my ear changed my mind.

My eyes snapped open to find a _horrifying_ sight before me. There, sleeping right in _my_ _arms_, was my rival. A content smile stretched across her face as I laid there, utterly disgusted and my face gaining a deep shade of red. _How in the world is she_—

My thoughts were interrupted by the oblivious rival shifting in my grasp and resting her chin on my shoulder, her chest pressing against my side and creating a horrible sense of discomfort on my bare arms. So, seeing as I was currently trapped in my rival's own grasp—which is actually quite a strong one—and unable to escape, I did the only rational thing a boy could do in my situation.

I screamed the highest pitch I've ever screamed before.

Lyra Soul jumped up with a scream of her own, flopping off of me and managing to get herself tangled up in the thick comforter. Numerous pairs of paws scrambled upright as I just pressed myself up against the headboard and roared at the top of my lungs. My rival flailed around for a few seconds before escaping the red fabrics and popping her head out with harsh pants of over-stimulation.

"_What is your problem_?!" My rival let out a screech as I stopped screaming, our eyes locking on each other. Hazels narrowed in a furious glare as she peeled off the blanket and tossed it aside as if it was nothing. "I was sleeping, genius! I would rather not be woken up by you screaming like a little girl, Silver!"

"_You were in my stinkin' arms, woman_!" Her mouth dropped open as a fresh coat of red covered her face. "What was I supposed to do; let you sleep there and cuddle your face in my neck like you were about to do?!"

"_No_!" Lyra shook her head before hiding her face in her hands. "How did I even—" She suddenly stopped and removed her hands, revealing wide eyes. Her attention quickly snapped back to me and she pointed a finger at me with a scowl. "This is _your_ fault!"

"_My fault_?!" I dramatically motioned to myself and gave her a baffled look. "How is any of this _my_ fault?!"

"You," She began with a harsh glare and a huff. "Grabbed me last night in your sleep and just started cuddling with me like," She suddenly clasped her hands together, put them at her right cheek and batted her eyelashes in a girlish display. "Oh, _please_ let me drop my arm around you and bury my face in you neck while you sleep, dear rival!" I deadpanned as I found her voice high and squeaking in her jesting manner. "My side of the bed is oh so cold, so please allow me to come over on your side and just _invade your personal space_!"

"I did _nothing_ like that!" I let out a shout of rejection as she simply switched from a childish grin for a harsh scowl.

"Yes, you _did_, you utter pest!" She used one of my own insults against me, making a harsh feeling of fury rise in my gut. "You just grabbed me last night and I had to sleep in your arms while you sleep-talked like you always do!" My jaw promptly dropped open as she went on, "I'm just _so_ happy that you didn't start calling out in your sleep!"

"Like I would ever—"

"Oh, _Lyra_!" She switched to an imitation of my own voice, her tones dropping until they reached a deeper, softer tone. "Oh my sweet rival! Oh how I love you so!" I could have sworn that my face was a deeper shade of scarlet as she went on with a dramatic moan and a flip of her hair. "Oh my darling! My love! Promise me that you'll never leave my side, my darling!" She snapped back to a harsh glare as sputters escaped my throat.

"I swear, if you were to start talking like that, I would have smashed your noggin like an alarm clock!"

"Yo-You're an utter pain in the neck and you say the stupidest things!" I snapped at her as she lowered her hands and sharply turned her head away from me, even going so far as to close her eyes. Anger bubbled in my throat as the image struck me as some prissy little quirk you'd see from people such as that girl with pink hair back in Goldenrod, not from my rival.

"You," I continued as she simply rested her hands in her lap. "I would never, _ever_ talk in my sleep like that, _especially_ not about _you_!" My throat began to burn as my cheeks flared. "That is the _worst_ imitation of me I've ever heard!"

A smirk flashed on my rival's face as she shot me a look of self-satisfaction. "Good. The last thing I want you to do is cuddle with me in your sleep and serenade me, Jerky."

I shot her a glare as she simply laughed and swung her feet over to the edge of the bed. She suddenly stopped as she realized a distinct lack of chill in the air. Hazel eyes looked around frantically before snapping back to me. A frown slipped in place of her confident smirk as she raised an eyebrow. "Alright, where's my Glaceon, red?"

"What are you talking about—"

"My Glaceon!" She pressed as she clenched the sheets between red knuckles. "My little Glace wouldn't just abandon his post, especially if it meant protecting me from the likes of you!" I shot her a look as she got up and started to make her way around the room.

"Look," She glanced back to me just seconds before Sneasel shimmied up her back like a tree. "He's probably just snoozing under the coffeetable again." I pointed to the oaken furniture with a frown. Lyra's Milotic lifted her head with a quiet coo as the rest of the Pokémon shuffled about. "Check under there before you start freaking out on me."

She quickly ducked down to the floor and called out to her Ice Type with a frantic tone. I was unfortunately—I swear—flashed with her rear in the air. She still had her flannel bottoms on of course, but need I remind you how awkward it is to be staring at your rival's buttocks? Yeah, it's really weird.

Her head popped up seconds later with wide eyes and dilated pupils. "He's not there! Glace never runs off like this! He's always by my side, always!" She jumped to her feet and started to tear the room apart as I just sighed and rolled out of bed. Cold hardwood greeted me as I reached for my discarded jacket and jeans—which I had thrown off earlier when I had escaped that nightmare. My eyes drifted to my rival and watched as her anxious starter started roaring out along with her, calling for the short Pokémon.

"Lyra," I rolled my eyes when her short blue creature started to mimic her. "He couldn't have gotten far. He's one of your 'partners', remember? That thing wouldn't walk three feet without you."

"That's what I'm afraid of!" She spun around with panicked eyes as I turned around and started pulling off my undershirt. "Glaceon is always with me! He wouldn't run off like this! What if someone—"

She abruptly stopped in mid-sentance, making me look over my shoulder to figure out the cause. I quickly found my brunette rival staring at me with even wider eyes and a faint pink hue on her face, making a matching shade rise to my cheeks.

"Oi!" I scowled at her and tossed my undershirt towards her face, making her let out a squeak and try to dodge. "Don't stare at me, weakling! I wouldn't stare at you, so don't stare at me."

She pulled my thrown clothes off her shoulder and glared at me with puffed cheeks. "I wouldn't just strip down in front of my rival!"

I shrugged it off and ignored how the whole room was now focusing on my bare back. "I wouldn't _'strip down'_ in front of you, either. I'm just changing my shirt." I pulled one of my stashed undershirts from the single drawer in the nightstand beside the bed. Snatching a black one with short sleeves out of the drawer, I decided to look over my shoulder at the girl. Much to my irritation, she was _still_ staring.

"_Quit it_!" I snapped at her as she continued to watch me. "Seriously, it's really annoying and it's starting to make me uncomfortable." Her eyes widened to a width I didn't even realize was possible before she turned away with a snickering Sneasel on her shoulder.

"Sorry," She let out a small mutter before stroking Sneasel's chin. "I'm just used to seeing you in your jacket so much, I was kinda shocked." She suddenly tilted her head towards me just enough to flash me a smirk. "Besides, I had no idea skin could be so pale."

"_Don't even start with me_!" I quickly pulled the undershirt on and slammed the drawer shut. I then scurried to put my jacket on, making a tangled mess that squeezed my arms near my shoulders. "There, now you have nothing to look at." She looked back and gave me a nod with what I could have sworn was a disappointed face before pointing to the door.

"Silver, look." Her voice was quiet as her finger jabbed the door in the air.

My eyes slowly drifted to the entryway and I found to my surprise that the door was open just enough for a Pokémon to slip out—or for someone to hear our conversation. A fresh coat of pink and a slight warmth returned to my face as I glanced back at my rival. Worry flooded her face and for the slightest second I had an urge to do _anything_ to make it go away. But, urges move on pretty quickly and that meant that this one vanished just as fast.

"I'm certain he wouldn't go to far." I reached up and tugged on my sleeves as to loosen the tightness in the shoulders and then reached to my belt. "If it makes you feel better, we can go look for him or something—"

Just then, a slight push swung the door ever so slightly towards us. Everyone in the room, even our Pokémon, stiffened as a blue shape poked inside of the small opening. A quiet sniffing filled the air as whatever looked inside gave the room a sniff before stepping inside. Our eyes grew wide as the blue mass turned out to be Lyra's Glaceon, padding inside as if nothing happened. He abruptly stopped as he found himself staring at white socks. Teal eyes looked up to find a grinning trainer and the poor creature had only seconds before he was scooped up and hugged to death.

"Glace!" An overjoyed song overtook my rival's voice, somehow bringing a smile to my face. "Oh, I've been so worried! Where were you?"

"Glacee! Glae glae." The small creature wriggled in my rival's grip before she gently placed him down on the ground. Her smile didn't fade as she turned to me.

"Well?" I gave her a look as I unclipped Gengar's Pokéball. "Where was your little Ice Demon? Torturing Nurse Joy as he oh so enjoys to do to me, or did he find some poor female that he decided to flirt with?"

She shot me a glare before folding her arms. "He was going to the bathroom, Silver. Glaceon said he had a very restless bladder last night."

I rolled my eyes before looking away. "Gross, thanks for the info."

She just laughed before taking a few steps away from me. I looked back to my left to find her reaching for her yellow bag that she had placed beside the lone sofa. "Well," She looked back up with a smile on her face once again. "We'd better get around." The smile faltered as she continued, "I'm sure you have places to be today, training to do and whatnot."

I nodded before she pulled out a clean copy of her signature outfit. I tightened the grip on my jeans—which were still in my left hand—and looked away. "Yeah, we're very busy training right now. We've only got a few hours before things get busy around here, so I'd better get going."

I tried to ignore the hard lump in my throat as my rival headed for the bathroom and left me and all of our collective Pokémon alone in the shrinking rental room in the Pokémon Center.

_I'm used to traveling alone and training in solitude, but why does the thought of us heading in our separate ways make a stone in my stomach?_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: That's never the kind of wake-up call you want if you're touchy about your rival or just so happen to be harboring a crush on your rival as we already know Lyra is. Once again, Glaceon is failing his job as guardian. He means well, truly he does, he just tends to falter on occasion. (I have a feeling Silver was much closer to the reason Glaceon left the room than the explanation Lyra gave...)<strong>

**Could it be that we're nearing the end of this fiction? ...Just wait and see, dear readers! I, the great Illusion Of Insanity, have another trick up my sleeve!**


	9. Driving the Point Home

**Part IX: Driving the Point Home**

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><p>I left the bathroom to find my rival's Pokémon all back in their capsules and his black duffel bag swung over his shoulder. I just tried to ignore the stabbing feeling of regret in my stomach as I headed over to place my pajamas in my bag and to collect my yellow carrier from the floor. A burning in my back told me that my rival had decided to watch on as I quickly stashed my clothes and picked up my bag. Swinging the yellow strap over my shoulder, I looked back at my rival.<p>

"...It's been nice." He suddenly looked to the window as his cheeks grew bright. "Last night was...interesting, to say the least. It wasn't how I would request to spend my evening," He suddenly looked back and flashed me a smile that made my heart race. "But I liked it. So, thanks."

"Pfft," I lifted my head with a proud smirk to hide the fact that my heart was sent on hot pursuit from just one look. "Your evenings are apparently very boring if that was unusual for you. You should see a normal night with my team; things are much more exciting than that!"

I could have sworn that for the slightest second, my rival's face lit up.

_Twenty-Five,_ I held a proud look as my last thought from the previous night slipped back in my mind, relishing in the lull in the activity and the quiet. _I love my rival._ I found myself releasing a proud _'humph'_ before unclipping a Pokéball with a flourish. Using quick and flashy movements to direct attention away from my bright cheeks, I recalled all of my Pokémon besides Skar.

Silver noticed the odd choice in partners and looked back to me. I ignored how that stupid thought kept bouncing in my mind over and over again. "You're leaving Metal-for-Brains out? He's not exactly land-oriented, you know."

_Love. Love love love. _My thoughts pounded on as I arrogantly strutted for the door. "What does it matter to you, little Psyduck-Butt? Perhaps I'm not planning on traveling by land today." _I love my rival. I'm in love. I'm in love with my rival. Oh, why did I have to fall and make myself into a fool? I'm trapped, I'm trapped!_ Flipping my hair with a smirk to clear my mind, I motioned for my trusted partner to follow me. Sharp claws rang out against the wood floors as he clumsily waddled to my side.

"It's been fun, little boy," I took a glance over my shoulder and found him giving me puffed, bright red cheeks of flustered annoyance. "But I'm afraid that I have places to be. Being the Champion of Johto and the strongest Trainer around means that I have little time for fooling around with boys." I gave him a chuckle and a curt salute as I headed for the door. "Tata!"

The instant my eyes switched to the hallway, I was blinded by a flash of white light.

I covered my eyes with a roar of confusion as footsteps pounded behind me. A tight grip on my shoulders and a yank set me crashing back into a soft surface, while a harsh caw of warning rang out above the clamor. Equally piercing yells questioning told me that the 'soft surface' I had backed up into was the chest of my rival and that 'tight grip' was his hands as he pulled me away from the doorway. The daze of a flash started to wear off, allowing me to shake it off and take a look at the source of the problem.

Standing in the hallway was a young boy with an Abra beside him, a camera resting in his hands as a grin crossed his face.

Terror slipped down my spine as I recognized the Rainbow Feather logo on his lanyard. "Oh no..." I stumbled to my feet as the grip on my shoulders loosened. "Oh, not the Ecruteak Chronicle. Please, not you."

"Alright!" A squeal of happiness sent a cringe to my face and my rival stepping backwards. "A clear picture of Lyra Soul with the strange redheaded guy! This'll sell for _big_ Poké, huh Abra?" The Pokémon beside him let out a cheerful cry as the boy gave us a salute.

"Well, I'll be off!"

And before my rival could even so much as complain about being called _'strange redheaded guy'_, the boy and Pokémon teleported away.

"What was that?!" My rival helped me to my feet as I swayed slightly from the shock of being discovered in this cold mountain town. "Who was that guy and who's he calling _'strange redheaded guy'_?!"

I became aware of a light nuzzle on my hip as Skar tried to sooth my frazzled nerves. "That," My voice was a mumble as little dots raced in front of angry metallic orbs and bright cheeks. "Was Baxter Wentworth, the apprentice photographer for the Ecruteak Chronicle."

"A newspaper?" My rival tilted his head as his shoulders hiked up. "Why would they bother to come all this way to take your picture?"

"No no no," I shook my head and fixed my bag strap as it dug in my jacket and started to sting in its place. "Not a newspaper, a _tabloid_."

"A...tabloid." My rival had obviously no idea what I was talking about, so I gave my head a final shake and stood tall.

"A gossip magazine about famous people." I motioned over my shoulder before twisting my finger in a circle beside my head. "They're the people who make up those crazy stories about so-and-so and whats-his-name going out on a date and who's breaking up and who's having affairs with who." His eyes grew wide as I narrowed my eyes. "And they've just taken a picture of us together to publish in some newest scandal."

I started to walk down the hall as my rival scrambled after me.

"So," He quickly caught up and started walking backwards to talk to me. "They're going to use that picture and use it in some article about us dating?"

"Pfft," I rolled my eyes and prayed that my cheeks wouldn't flare up. "I wish." _I wish that we were._ Ignoring the treacherous half of my mind that wanted to count the ways my rival made my heart flutter—in other words, the weak half—I went on with my point. "They'll probably use you in some article about me cheating on Falkner."

"_Ch-cheating on Falkner_?!"

I stopped as my rival froze in the hallway, anger and something that looked like hurt flashing in his eyes. A cold regret slipped in my veins as he once again looked utterly crushed by the mention of the Bird Specialist. _Oh no._ His hands balled into fists as he tilted his head down to the floor, forcing his bangs to cover his eyes. _I've done it again. Not again. Not now._

"You-you were..." He let out a growl before snapping his head up towards me. "I should've known that you and that...that _Pretty Boy_ were a couple!" My eyes grew wide as Skar simply watched us with narrowed eyes. Anger dripped from every sound as his eyes lit up with an intense rage. "You talked about him yesterday, spent _months_ with him after the Ho-Oh incident..." He quickly turned his head away as his hands slipped in his pockets.

"I should have known that you've been hanging out with that loser."

I found myself speechless as my rival once again jumped to conclusions. _He thinks that Falkner and I are...dating?! _I tried to keep myself from either breaking down or laughing at the situation. _He thinks...Falkner and _me_?!_

"No way," A harsh tone of disgust slipped out of my mouth as I stared at my rival's back. "There is _no_ way that Falkner and _I_ would _ever_ become an item!" Red locks shifted ever so slightly as Silver glanced over his shoulder through his flaming shield. "Falkner is just a friend with a bird," I paused as I remembered a few quick winks and sly flirts from the blue-haired sky dweller. I grimaced as the image of Falkner's smug grin flashed in my mind. "Who may or may not have a thing for me, I'll be completely honest."

"If you're being honest," I found myself gulping at the icy tone he was using, something I haven't heard in a _long_ time. "Then just cough it up and admit that you're dating. You just said that they would use it in an article about you cheating on Falkner, so get it over with and admit that he's your dumb boyfriend." Crimson locks swished as he turned his attention back to the hallway's shortening stretch.

"Didn't I just say that the Ecruteak Chronicle was a tabloid magazine?" I tried to keep myself calm as my heart raced. I couldn't let him walk away now. I knew that Silver was dangerous in this state. Only he wasn't dangerous to me or to others...

He was dangerous to himself.

"So what?" He simply shrugged, acting as if he was unfazed by the whole thing. "They'll make up that you were cheating on him and going out with me on the sly." I raised an eyebrow as his voice distinctly squealed at _'going out with me'_. "That'll sell plenty of papers, magazines or whatever and you'll have to play Champion and be the good little girl you've always been and fix things like you always do."

I didn't even hide the stabbing pain that his assumptions brought.

He's always been like this, pointing a shaking finger at me and my _'goody two shoes'_ self just seconds before he retreats. All this talk of being the 'chosen one', the 'Champion', an 'idol' and a 'hero' was starting to become far more apparent and common as of late. To make matters worse, it seemed that every time he brought it up, it brought some type of wall along with it.

I can't let him do this, not again.

"Silver," I reached out and grabbed his arm, not even loosening my grip as he flinched at the contact. "I'm only going to say this once. I am _not_ a liar, not now and not ever. I would _never_ lie to you, especially about something like this." Metallic eyes slowly peered out from burning red locks as he tilted his head towards me.

"I do _not_ love Falkner the Bird-Boy, not even a little bit."

He took a sharp breath as he stared at me. For an agonizing moment, my heart was the only sound in the hall. _Please, Silver. _I looked at him with genuine tears in my eyes. The thought of Silver leaving right now in this fume scared me. Not just slightly concerned, but _scared _me. Silver was unpredictable on his own, but in this state...

I wouldn't put it past him to run away and never look back.

"Swear it on Ho-Oh's tail feathers?" A weak whisper leaked out of his lips. A sigh of relief gushed out as I stood just a bit straighter.

"Yes," Relief flooded more than just my systems, but I didn't bother hiding it from my voice. "I swear it on Ho-Oh's tail feathers." A chuckle escaped my lips as I found a small spark of relief in his eyes. "I'll swear it on Lugia's dorsal fins. I'll swear it on Celebi's antennae. I'll swear it on anything you want me to!" I could've sworn a laugh came from his mouth as I began to beam.

"Swear it on your Pokémon."

"I'll swear it on my Pokémon and I'll swear it on your Pokémon as well!" I released his captive limb as he slowly turned back towards me. He brushed his bangs aside and let his bright eyes shine through once again. "I mean it, Silver. Falkner is _literally_ the last guy I'd ever consider as dating material."

He raised an eyebrow at this before giving me a sly look. "Oh, so I take it that Morty the Ghost-Whisperer is higher up than Bird-Brain?"

"Ew!" I shuddered in revoltion as he just laughed at me. Skarmory let out a relieved caw behind me, jolting me back to the fact that he was still with me. "Morty is old enough to be my father or something! Like I'd _ever_ consider him!"

"Hey," He gave me a smirk and a shrug. "You said he was the last guy you'd consider, so I wanted to point out that Morty qualifies as a guy."

"Well then, wise-guy." I gave my nose a quick brush with my thumb before folding my arms and shifting my weight to my right leg. "Let me rephrase that so you won't keep bringing up old people. Falkner is the last guy _my age or around my age_ that I'd ever consider."

"So," He looked around slowly before snapping back to me with a sly grin. My heart jumped at the sight, but I tried desperately to remain unaffected on the outside. "That would mean that _I'm_ higher on that list than him?"

I gulped down a lump in my throat as he simply cocked his head. Oddly enough of me, any clever retort was reduced to mere sputters of sound in my mouth. Silver's grin faded before being replaced with a questioning glance. _Oh crap! Crappy idea to push that button! _Panic flooded my mind until all I could see was sparkling pools of sliver embraced by brilliant flames of crimson. _Oh, why did I ever bring that up!?_

Instead of trying to come up with an excuse, I just ruffled his hair and walked past him. Ignoring the sputters of confusion and the gradual teasing that would follow, I headed out towards the lobby.

My plight was foiled by Nurse Joy crashing into me.

Falling on my rear once again, I looked up to find the woman giving me a look of horror. Silver raced to my side as her mouth opened with silent gawks. I just rejected the tugging of my chest and let my rival pull me up by my overalls. My knees threatened to give out for a few heartbeats, but I shook it off with the dignity expected from a Champion and a regional hero.

"Oh my!" Nurse Joy's voice finally came out in a panicked gush. "I am so sorry, Ms. Soul! I'm so terribly sorry! I had no _idea_ that you were still here and—" She noticed my rival standing beside me—and still gripping my left arm as we stood together—and a new wave of shock crashed against her face. "Oh my! You're still here as well? Oh, whatever shall we do?!"

Silver let out a huff at not being addressed by his name, but I just tried to focus on the woman's panic.

"Nurse Joy," I started with a calm tone, surprising me seeing as I had been reduced to incoherent noises only seconds earlier. "First of all, I prefer to be referred to as Lyra, not _'Ms. Soul'_. Second, but honestly the most important point..." I paused for a moment before I managed to regain a firm tone. "Why are you so upset?"

Her blue eyes narrowed as she looked between us. She then started to wring her hands in front of her with a tight frown. "Oh, I thought I told everyone to evacuate last night, but I must have missed your room. Oh, how terrible this is!"

"_Evacuate_?!" Silver and I both let out a shocked shout at the same instant, confusion and horror seeping under our skin. Nurse Joy nodded sadly before letting out a sigh.

"I'm afraid that we're currently snowed in."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Tada! I, the amazing Illusion Of Insanity, have pulled off the greatest trick of my career! Feast your eyes on the often-done-but-difficult-to-nail cliché of <em>'snowed in'<em>! Haha! Did you think that they were parting ways already, when we've only had _one_ confession? No, my dear readers! We shall not have such a half-baked idea survive! We _shall_ have a double confession and more, my friends!**

**_In other words, things are going to get really interesting around here._**

**(Oh, and for some reason I kept writing 'Falkner' as 'Flakner' [as in flake-ner]. Make of that what you will. XD)  
><strong>


	10. Put it on Ice if You Please

**Part X: Put it on Ice if You Please**

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><p>"<em>Snowed in<em>?!" I found myself shouting at the top of my lungs as the pink-haired woman simply nodded at us. Frustration boiled over, eliminating any traces of the self-satisfaction I had gained only moments ago. "You're telling me that we're stuck here?!"

"I'm afraid so." Nurse Joy's blue eyes shifted from my own face to the frozen rival beside me, obviously preferring the more manners-minded brunette to me. "I'm so terribly sorry for the inconvenience, Ms. Soul. I had no idea that you were still here."

"_Hello_!" I clenched my hands into fists as the woman basically ignored me. "What about me?! I'm here too, you dolt!"

Lyra simply gave my right arm a shove before turning her attention back to the woman. "Please, it's just Lyra." I rolled my eyes at her stubborn reminder and just folded my arms. "Also, I'm certain that we're not _completely _trapped here. How do you usually plow the snow?"

"Well," Nurse Joy placed a finger to her chin with narrowed eyes. "Usually Pryce and his Mamoswine will come through the Ice Path and plow us all out," She sighed and shook her head. "But he's fallen ill and can't leave Mahogany Town."

"Of course not." I deadpanned as my rival put a hand to her chin in thought.

"Well," She lifted her head slightly, brushing her cheeks with the tips of her chocolate locks. "What if Silver and I plowed the snow for you? I'm certain that Typhlosion could help out and I have a Piloswine of my own that could help us."

"I'm sorry to say that the doors are too blocked by the snowfall to even open."

"Please," Lyra gave the woman a cocky wave of dismissal before shrugging. "How much snow could it be?"

* * *

><p>"Oh, that's a <em>lot<em> of snow."

I just gulped as my rival and I stared at a completely white wall of snow covering every inch of glass. Sure, Blackthorn is pretty close to the Ice Path and it _is_ a mountainous area...but I had no idea that one place could accumulate so much snow in a single night.

"I've never seen so much snow in my life..." Lyra glanced back to me and gave me a nervous smile. "I mean, in New Bark it certainly doesn't snow that much. I don't know about you, but that's a crazy amount of snow."

"No, you're right about that." I nodded as I faintly recalled only seeing snow up to my waist back when I was a small child. "That's a crazy amount of snow."

I could have sworn that a small smirk covered her cheeks as she turned back to Nurse Joy. "Well, it looks like we'll be here for a while."

"I do have some movies in the back that you two could watch for the time being." Nurse Joy pointed over her shoulder before taking a few steps back. "I'll be right back." She then scurried off, leaving my rival, her glaring bird and myself alone in the noticeably colder lobby.

A few moments of awkward silence filled the spaces between us as we simply stood there, waiting for her to return. Eventually, I just turned my head and found my rival staring at me with narrowed eyes of thought.

"We're going to be stuck here for a long time, aren't we?"

Lyra just closed her eyes with a heavy exhale before placing a hand on Skarmory's head. "Probably. Too bad you couldn't get out while you still could, huh?"

"Pfft," I folded my arms across my chest. "I couldn't have gotten very far with that snowstorm on my tail. I would've just froze to death or something instead of being safe and somewhat warm in here." She just shot me a grin as I finished, "So no, I'm better off dealing with your smart-alack self for now instead of freezing to death earlier."

"Well then," She flashed me a grin before placing her hands on her hips. "I'm glad to know that you'd choose me over freezing to death." I just shot her a glare as she went on, "A few years ago, you would have taken the snowstorm in a heartbeat!"

"Yeah, well things change." I looked away as I felt a sudden wave of heat in my face. "Like how you went from weak and annoying to cocky and irritating, Marshmallow-Head."

"Hey," She gave me a shrug and a wink with that cocky grin of hers. "Adapt or die, redhead. I'd much rather toughen up than be squashed by all of the crazy, self-centered people out in this world. It's much better to become stronger than to allow yourself to be crushed under a man's heel."

"You know," I looked over my shoulder once she finished to find some sort of distant look in her hazel pools. "That was pretty profound for a midget like you, Marshmallow-Head."

"Who you calling midget?" She gave me a playful shove as I just chuckled it off—her shoves were a bit rougher these days, but they were still basically a tickle in my side. "I've grown quite a bit as of late, shorty! Besides," She held a hand up to the top of her hat before letting it slide far above my head. "I'm taller than you~!"

"Hats don't count, idiot!"

"I'm not counting my hat, red. Even without my beloved Marshmallow-Hat, I'm still taller than you by a whole inch!" Out came the stubborn retort as I could only just let out a huff and turn my head away.

There's no use arguing if you know you're beat.

I had just opened my mouth to shoot back a very clever comeback when Nurse Joy strolled inside with a mountain of digital video disks in her hands. We both turned and promptly let our jaws drop open. Colorful boxes covered every inch of the young woman's face, bright text proclaiming the names of various chick-flicks, romantic comedies and the occasional battling documentary that consisted of a famous Trainer's career and their best battles.

"Well, I've brought out every DVD we have inside of this Pokémon Center for the two of you to use. Please feel free to watch as many as you like." Nurse Joy's voice somehow managed to reach us from the other side of the wall of movies.

"Um, thank you." Lyra eyed the pile for a while before pulling off the bright orange case on the top. "These should distract us for a while." She pulled the movie close to her chest before a sudden shimmer entered her eyes. She suddenly snapped her attention back the woman covered in mostly cheesy films. "Oh! Is that battlefield ready yet?"

_Battlefield? _I gave the two an odd glance just as the woman let out a small grunt of effort. _Is that the only thing she think of these days? It seems that Pokémon and battles are the only things out of her mouth recently._

"I'm afraid not, Ms. Soul."

"Drat!" My brunette rival stomped a foot with a sharp exclamation of regret, making a small smirk cross my face. "And here I was hoping that I could get some training done while cooped up here! Well," She quickly turned back to me and I tried to hide the fact that I had found her childish display amusing. "I guess my rival will have to keep me entertained for now."

A blush crossed my face as a certain double-meaning took over my mind. I coughed into my elbow and let the limb linger over my face, hoping to hide the discoloration in my face. Unfortunately for me, my rival just picked up on my problem that much sooner.

"Oi!" Her proud voice quivered as Nurse Joy went to place the movies on the nearest glass table. "Don't be such a pervert, Silver!"

"I'm not being a pervert, Marshmallow-Head!" A sharp cry of indignation escaped me before I could even think. A quick clasp of my hand over my mouth proved to only make things worse. A quicker glance at my rival found a smirk of self-satisfaction with some warm emotion churning in her eyes.

"Come on, you stinker. We've got a movie to watch."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: These kids just have the best luck, don't they? By the way, those movies are from Nurse Joy's personal collection.<strong>

**/cough/Lyra's opinion on becoming stronger may or may not be inspired by my own opinions. In other words, see that line as an Illusion Of Insanity quote. /cough/**


	11. One Crush, Hidden and Warmed, Please

**Part XI: One Crush, Hidden and Warmed, Please**

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><p><em>The young woman let out a sigh as her hand numbly petted her trusted Arcanine. She had won this battle, but why did she feel like she lost? Perhaps it was because that her rival would now be boarding a ship to a distant land and leaving her far behind. Her heart dropped at the thought alone. Even after all she's been through with him, she couldn't change his mind. Even though they had grown so close over their rivalry, they still were not close enough to prevent such a tragedy.<em>

_ "Lydia?" The woman turned around and found her rival standing before her, his red locks illuminated in the setting sun's rays and bursting into a dancing flame. "You were really great in our battle. It's amazing to think of how far you've come."_

_ "Yeah," She swallowed down regret and bitterness as her voice faltered. "You've become quite the Trainer yourself." A smile entered his face as her words met his ears, causing her heart to be stunned for an instant and enter an all-consuming pounding._

_ Her heartbeat rang out in her ears as he ran a hand through his hair in the way that drove her crazy. He then gave her a quick salute in just the way she loved before putting a hand on his hip. "You bet I am, little Lydia! I'm going to become even better than you, just watch me!"_

_ A small laugh escaped her as she narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, good luck with that Silvester."_

_ "I told you to call me Silv, 'Dia!"_

_ The girl just laughed before shaking her head at him. "Like I'd ever miss a chance to taunt you, dummy. A rival's job is never done!"_

_ "Well," His light tone suddenly dipped and become far more somber. "It looks like your job might just be over, Lydia."_

I honestly felt like puking at this point.

It's been over an hour of _this_, a painful romance between two rivals when both of them can't even so much as admit that they enjoy hanging out with the other person. One stubbornly sticks to pride and walls of cocky attitude to hide her feelings, while the other tends to act indifferent and pretend as if he doesn't even notice the girl he's been chasing after for years.

It didn't help matters that my own rival was _eating this junk with a spoon._

"Why won't they say anything?" Silver was once again muttering his complaints to the air as he watched on, hypnotized by the dated movie. "They're both in love but they just keep hiding it. Now he's about to leave and they might never see each other again! They should do _something_ before it's too late!"

I simply let out a heavy breath and tried to ignore how the _male_ in the room was enjoying this more than I, a member of the feminine kind, who wasn't even remotely interested in this garbage. The only thing that prevented me from turning away in disgust was the heavy amount of battling this movie contained and even _that_ was starting to not make up for the painful tension.

_"'Dia,"_ _Silvester's voice suddenly gained a wispy quality. The sound made the girl's heart beat all the faster and forced her to gulp down the rising feelings in her throat. She couldn't fall. She was a powerful Trainer, not some schoolgirl! She was higher than stumbling over herself for a guy, no matter how sweet, smart, attractive and good at battling he was._

_ Oh great Mew! She really had fallen for him!_

_ "Yes, Silvester?" She tried not to sound too hopeful as the boy took another step towards her. Sneakers squeaked on the contact of saltwater and sodden wood. Footsteps seemed far too slow as the boy closed in on his rival._

_ "'Dia, I've done some thinking and...well..." His voice trailed off as scarlet eyes met powerful blues. "It seems to me that maybe I'm..."_

_ "You're what, Silv?" Her heart raced even faster as he stopped just inches from her face, their noses brushing in this enclosed portion of the docks. Could it be that he felt the same way about her? Had her wildest dreams come true?_

"Come on, Silvester..." Silver was literally leaning forward in his seat as his fingers weaved together. "Say it, you idiot. You're going to loose her if you keep quiet. Come on, speak!" I gave him a slightly disturbed glance before turning my attention back to the movie. His talking to himself about the movie would be quite a bit funnier if I didn't have an odd feeling in my gut right now.

_"Silv," Lydia's eyes grew wide as she found her rival taking a deep breath, smacking her face with a heavy warmth._

_ "Lydia, I've realized that somethings are a bit more important than winning." The boy started off his speech with narrowed eyes and a calm tone. "For example, helping those in need or being kind to your Pokémon outweighs victory. You've taught me that, and for that deed I thank you."_

_ Her heart sank as his words met her burning ears. Was this only a farewell speech? Would her rival get on the ship without even so much as noticing the way she felt about him? Oh, if only she had the guts to speak up herself! She wanted to tell him, truly she did. However, a small fear of rejection held her back, tugging on the leash until it grew taut and kept her from speaking her mind._

_ "But, even though I've become stronger, there's something that eludes me." He paused for a moment before looking up at his rival with determination. "I've realized that even if I won against you, I wouldn't get what I truly want."_

_ "What do you mean, Silv?" Her chocolate locks danced in a sudden breeze as the vibrant orange sea met the peach sky beside them. Evening was closing in, and soon Silvester's ship would set sail for Orre, whether he boarded or not._

_ "What I'm trying to say is that I know what I truly want now." A hand slowly slipped up to Lydia's cheek as the boy leaned in just enough for their forehead's to touch. "I've realized that what I want is _you_, Lyra."_

Wait, did I hear that right?

I shook my head as the name suddenly twisted into my own. No, that couldn't be right. The brunette on the screen was _not_ me, she was an actress with a slightly similar name that sounds nothing like my own when spoken out loud. That was _not_ Silver's voice ringing in my ears and saying what the actor on screen had finally admitted to his rival.

My eyes grew wider than Pokéballs when I found that the names twisted in my mind the instant I heard them and became _'Silver_ and _'Lyra'_ instead of Silvester and Lydia. This was not a movie about the shaky relations between myself and my rival. No, this was a movie about two completely different people who just so happen to be rivals and have similar personalities.

Oh Ho-Oh, I _was_ that girl on the screen!

Well, not literally. But still, I was in the exact situation—minus the leaving part—with my own rival. I was stuck behind my mask of confidence and power when half the time I was fantasizing about my redheaded rival and the possibilities of become more than just friends with him.

My eyes snapped back to the screen just in time to see the two leaning in for the kiss. My eyes grew wider than they ever had before as I abruptly found myself imagining myself and Silver in that very situation, my rival leaning in with nothing but gentle eyes as we grew closer and closer. His hands would gently grip my arms, holding me in place and keeping me steady. Our lips would brush ever so slightly before—

_No no no!_ I shook my head violently, shaking the couch Silver and I were sharing in the process. _Stop this nonsense! You are a Champion and a powerful Trainer to boot! You will _not_ daydream about how your rival's lips would feel against your own or holding his hand in yours with a strong confidence or falling back into his arms and letting yourself be held as the sun sets..._

Horror slipped down my spine like a wet Milotic at the thoughts that raced in my mind. I buried my burning face in my hands just as the spot beside me shifted with my moving rival. _I'm such an idiot. I'm absolutely pathetic. I'm acting like a lovestruck schoolgirl with nothing to do but dream about love and doodle my crush's name on my notes. I'm becoming weak!_

"Uh, you feeling alright, Lyra?" I tried to ignore the poke on my arm as my rival's attention suddenly turned to me instead of the loud symphony music and crashing waves of the kiss scene. "You're turning red, you know."

"I-I am not!" I mentally slapped myself at the stutter and tried to clear my throat. I then let out a growl and shifted my attention to the stack of movies on the table. "I'm just sick of watching this crap! I'm getting nauseous and everything from all this sappy love junk! I say we watch something else!" I then started digging through the pile of movies, searching for one that _didn't _revolve around some love story that would somehow twist into being about myself and my rival.

"We've already watched almost the whole thing." Silver just slumped back into the couch with a frown as I knocked the pile over to see the middle of the stack. "Couldn't we just watch the end and call it good?"

"No!" My voice was frantic as I found the stack to be filled with romance, romantic comedy, comedy, dramas and soap opera box sets. Didn't this woman ever watch _anything_ other than what Ethan's grandmother's personal favorites? "We're changing the movie before I puke!"

"You're probably just embarrassed by the movie or something."

My heart stopped beating as I slowly turned my attention to my rival. He was giving me his favorite look to scold me with, folded arms, narrowed eyes and stiff shoulders. His eyes felt like flames burning holes in my skull as he slowly blinked. My voice caught in my throat as he continued to stare.

"What did you just say?" My voice came out surprisingly cold, startling me with the chill that escaped my mouth.

"You heard me." Silver's voice was equally as distant as he shifted in his seat as to fold his legs. "You're just embarrassed. Your face is as red as my hair right now, your eyes are as wide as a Pokéball and your voice is doing the high-pitched thing it does when you're in denial." He seemed to think harder about this for a minute before shaking his head. "You know what? Forget it." He waved me off and pointed to the stack. "Choose a darn replacement movie and get it over with."

I gave him a huff of frustration before pulling a dark red case out of the pile. "Here!" I literally shoved it in his arms as the movie on screen started to fade out. "We'll watch this instead!"

His eyes slowly drifted down to the case before snapping back to my face. A paleness overtook his features as he narrowed his eyes at me. "_The Clock Strikes Twelve_?" The scepticism in his voice was not making me feel very confident about my choice, but I held my head high anyway. "You're not going to like this movie, not one bit."

"Oh yeah?" I folded my arms with a glare and leaned towards him. "And what makes you say that, Silver?"

"Uh, because this movie is actually rated 'R' and it won quite a few awards for being the scariest, most terrifying movie in a decade." I tried to hide the gulp of dread as I focused on my rival's eyes. "You wouldn't last the opening credits, let alone the whole movie."

"Yes I can!" I somehow found a flame of determination at the very idea of backing out. "Pop that sucker in and let's get going!" I jumped back in my seat and quickly rooted myself in my spot. "I'm going to prove that I won't get scared!"

"Fine," Silver just shrugged and peeled himself off of the couch. He then slowly headed to the DVD Player with a tight frown. "If you're so stubborn about it, then you can watch it." He quickly replaced the movie we were watching with the supposedly horrifying movie and turned toward me with folded arms. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

"I'll be just fine!" I tried to hold on to my stubborn shield as the movie started to load. My rival just rolled his eyes and sat down with a sigh. Ignoring his displeasure, I just tried to keep a strong face as the opening previews turned out to be just as terrifying and graphic as the real movie would probably be.

_Oh, please don't make me regret this._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Muhahaha, I had quite a bit of fun writing this chapter. Who doesn't love a moment when they imagine kissing their rival? I know I love writing such cheese-in-a-can!<strong>

**Oh look, Silver's pretty irked about missing the end. What? You thought Lyra would like this movie? Nah! Silver, as it was previously mentioned, seems to be fluent in chick-flick. This may or may not be related to the default movies provided in the rooms of all Pokémon Centers, which just so happen to tend to be romantic/feel-good in nature. Also, Silver may or may not be studying pick-up lines and how to actually 'talk' to girls by watching those movies. (But that's just crazy, right? /wink/)**

**Hope you're not lactose-intolerant, because there's plenty more cheese up ahead!**


	12. What Indifference?

**Part XII: What Indifference?**

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><p>We weren't even seven minutes in to this movie, and Lyra Soul had already broken into a shivering mess beside me. Being the good rival I was, I naturally poked her arm and gave her a good taunt or two as to test how far she had been reduced. Judging by the sputtering denials and jumps at every loud noise, she was a shattered mess on the floor at this point.<p>

_"What's up with all the clocks?" Silvon looked around as his gang of mischief-makers trailed his every move. Their eyes locked on the large cuckoo clocks that rang true every second, covering the walls with ticking that could grind on a man's mind. "This place sounds like a cuckoo's nest."_

_ "Pfft, who cares?" Leera, the more bold of the group and the only female, simply shrugged her shoulders in the dim atmosphere and headed to her quite attractive leader's side. "Once we rob this joint, we'll be out of here before they even strike the hour!"_

_ Little did they know that someone was watching them from only a few feet away._

"C-Clocks?" Lyra was sitting straight up with a large blanket on her lap, her eyes wider than the Pokéballs on her belt. "W-What's so scary about a hall of clocks?" I tried to keep my eyes off the screen as much as possible. Despite that my rival knew me by my whole _'tough guy'_ thing, I wasn't particularly interested in watching multiple people die within the span of an hour and a half.

"Nothing, this is just the build-up." Flaunting my knowledge of such hideous movies, I just leaned back and watched my far more interesting rival. "They're going to lure you in with a false sense of security and start giving the beef of the plot before they start killing people. Studies show that these types of movies are more effective with actual plots and bonds with the characters."

_"Well then," The resident comic relief, who happened to be named Finn, decided to speak up. "How about we get our pay and get going, instead of hanging around like this? I'm starting to get a shiver down my spine."_

_ "That's a Spinarak, not a shiver." The strong man of the group pointed to the scrawny boy's back, earning a squeal to rival the tiniest of women. Leera, rolling her eyes at the sound, simply grabbed Silvon's arm with a grin. The redhead glanced down at the pretty brunette for a second and flashed her a grin before looking back up at a grandfather clock._

_ "Would you look at that..." His voice echoed in the silence. "This clock's got Finn's name on it." True, the clock proudly presented the boy's name in vibrant red, the hands heading towards the top of the clock. The group stopped to look at the device and suddenly the blond boy who's name happened to be in question frowned._

_ "But there's no such thing as a clockmaker named Finn. There's only the Alvedas and the Burngonettes." The others turned with a disbelieving look while the boy just gave them all a shrug. "What? It's basic information for a tinker such as myself."_

"Pfft, what a nerd." I tried to remain unfazed by the movie, if only to shield myself from the suspicions my rival commonly held against me. "Who cares about clocks? Get to the action, already!"

"Please don't get to the action already." My rival was paler than even me as she gripped the couch cushions between her fingers. "Please let this be one of those spoof movies were no one dies and then they all go home and eat pizza. Please let it be one of those movies."

I decided against my better judgement to taunt her about this.

"What's the matter, little girl?" She flinched before whipping her head towards me at the mention of that hated insult. "Are you scared of a little movie? Pfft, how pathetic!" Her eyes narrowed into furious slits. A small growl escaped her as she then shook her head.

"No way! I'm not scared of anything!" She sat up a tad straighter and thumbed her chest with utter pride. "I'm Champion Lyra Soul of the Johto region! I've defeated eight Gym Leaders, all of the Elite Four, the ex-Champion Lance, tamed a great bird of rebirth, became the top Trainer in my whole region _and_," she paused to flick some of her hair over her shoulders. "I'm stronger than you." I narrowed my eyes as she then finished, "Therefore, I can handle such an idiotic movie such as this."

"Fine then," I sat back in my seat and turned my attention back to the movie. "If you say you can handle this..." I knew she couldn't handle this. Heck, _I_ couldn't handle this type of! The way she was now, I wouldn't put it past her to faint before we reach the first death.

_"Finn!" The group became stunned as the blond fell to the floor in a motionless heap. The nearest member of the gang, Trev, shook the boy to wake him, but his efforts were useless. Upon closer inspection, red oozed from his open mouth, almost if he had bitten his lip. The man checked for a pulse, for a heartbeat, _anything_ to see if he was still with them._

_ Nothing._

_ "He's dead." Silvon's eyes were cold slits as Leera held him tight in fear. "There's no use in trying anymore, Trev. Finn's gone." The man looked up with a pale face as the clocks continued to resonate throughout the room._

_ "But that's impossible! He was perfectly fine until that clock hit midnight!" Silvon glared at the man before stealing a glance at the clock. His eyes widened as he found the clock reverted back to three o'clock, even though it had hit midnight just moments ago. To make things worse, the clock no longer held Finn's name._

_ Trev's name was now in place of the late blond._

Things only got worse once we hit the halfway point.

Lyra was now stricken motionless with fear, unable to turn away as the next death played out on the screen. Her cheeks shimmered with silent tears as she found herself unable to look away from the source of her terror. Something inside of me hated the fact that this was technically my fault, seeing as I had taunted her and all. The rest of me, however, simply criticized her for being weak.

And I hated the fact that I couldn't make up my mind as to which half was wrong.

Before I could figure it out, a jump-scare magically appeared and sent my rival screaming into the air before hiding_—_of all places_—_behind me, her head wedged between my back and the couch while the rest of her quivered in plain sight. Ignoring the heat rising in my face, I just grabbed the back of her jacket and yanked her out of there.

Wide eyes met mine as I gave her a glare. Apparently, no words were needed, for she just gave me a nod and set her hands in her lap, acting as if the whole thing never happened. I decided that seeing her like this...wasn't funny anymore.

"Hey," She flinched at my voice, but I kept talking. "If you don't like the movie, we can stop watching it. It's not that big a deal." She stared at me for a few moments before shaking her head violently.

"N-No way! I'm perfectly fine, redhead! I can handle some dumb movie like this!" I raised an eyebrow as she stubbornly folded her arms and glared at me. "Don't treat me like I'm a coward! Last time I checked, I'm perfectly fine." I gave her a familiar glare before rolling my eyes and looking away.

"Fine, suit yourself."

_Run._

_ They had to run._

_ But, where could they run to?_

_ "Silvon!" The redhead in the lead turned around as he found the brunette tripping over her own two feet. The male ignored the fact that the killer was currently on their tail and raced back to her side, pulling her up off the ground. The girl gave him a smile of thanks just before she left him behind in long strides._

_ "Leera!" Silvon raced after her with a pounding heart. Why would she just take advantage of him like that? Leaving him behind after he stopped to help her back on her feet...why would she betray him like that? His mind raced for answers as he found nothing making sense. He would have thought that the two of them could be honest to each other on their deathbeds, but apparently he was sorely mistaken._

_ "Silvon! Over here!" The redhead stopped dead as he found her voice coming from the forest to his right. Ignoring how his mind screamed that this was a trap, he darted inside of the thick foliage and undergrowth. Despite her earlier behavior, he trusted her. He shouldn't, but he did. Long ago he had realized that arguing with this feeling brought only confusion and shoved her away from his side. He wasn't going to push her away when they might not make it out alive._

It was when he was running that the lead male was stricken from behind and sent tumbling to the ground with glassy eyes. I cringed as Lyra let out a sharp scream and leaped in the air. Before either of us could think, she was grabbing my arm and hiding her face in my jacket as if she was about to be sick. My face felt hot as she clung to me like an Aipom.

And that's when the lights went out.

I expected the rival to scream again in fear at the sudden change, but instead she pulled away and started to look around. "Oh, the power's out." I faintly heard a tone of relief in her voice before she seemed to scoot away. "Well, that's odd."

"Yeah," I sat up straight as it seemed all motion beside me ceased. "That's pretty odd. Do you think Nurse Joy overloaded the Center's power supply or something_—_" I was rudely cut off by my rival covering my mouth with one of her hands. I let out a muffled complaint as I faintly became aware of a glow of golden light in the room.

"Quiet," Lyra's voice was a deadly calm, sending a jolt of nervous energy down my spine. Upon closer examination, the glow seemed to be coming from the hand covering my mouth_—_her left hand to be exact. "Something's not right." The golden light illuminated her face and created a ghostly look to her features. "Every Pokémon Center has a back-up generator that automatically kicks on when the power fails."

I moved her hand away with a glare as she reached her glowing hand to her belt. "In other words, I think something's up."

"Well," I reached for my own belt with a frown. "What do expect us to do, genius?"

Lyra let out a small grunt before unclipping a Pokéball from _my_ belt, tugging on my waist with a short yank. Before I could even open my mouth to complain, Crobat popped out beside us and the girl gave him a pat on the side.

_"We're going to investigate, that's what."_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: ...Writing horror movies isn't my forte. I tried to make things interesting, but I feel like I really need to improve on that. How I did is up to you guys, though. <strong>

**What's going on? The power's suddenly cut inside of the Pokémon Center and the two of them are left alone? This doesn't seem very good. What could be the cause of the back-up generator's failure. Well, we'll soon find out in the next chapter!**


	13. Hidden Evil

**Part XIII: Hidden Evil**

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><p>My heart started to pound out of control as I sat there, unable to see the danger but knowing that it was there. The only sounds in the air were the blood rushing in my ears, Crobat's nearly silent wings and my rival's breathing. Inside of the darkness' warm embrace, I knew the rank stench of <em>them<em> anywhere.

At times like this, I truly hated my bond with Ho-Oh.

"Crobat," I turned to my rival's flyer as the air around us started to get colder. "Could you use your echolocation to see how many utter pests we've got in here?"

The Bat Pokémon let out a quiet chirp of confirmation before opening his mouth to release the high-pitched frequency used for echolocation. A slight shift beside me let me know that my rival had scooted closer to us, staying close to my side. Even the normal heat that would rise to my cheeks at the thought of us being so close was erased with the deadly calm that overrode every single one of my systems.

It was already taking over.

Crobat stopped before turning to me with a serious glare. "Cro bat co." He gave us both a nod before landing on the glass coffeetable to await my next command. I took a deep breath to try to force that calm from spreading to my head. I couldn't lose control now. I had to keep my head above this.

"What did he say?" My rival's voice was right by my ear, brushing my hair with that warmth yet again. I found it ineffective as I tried to focus on protecting both my beloved team, my misguided rival and the helpless innocent trapped inside of this building.

"Crobat claims there are a total of two enemies inside of the building." A small spark of panic entered my mind as I already found my voice cold and distant. I was already losing control. I can't lose control. I am _not_ Ho-Oh's vengeance puppet. "They seem to be on the north side of the structure."

I felt a light touch on my arm and I knew that Silver had already realized something was off about my voice. "Lyra," Another hand reached for my glowing left, but I pulled my hand away from his reach. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I-I'm fine." I felt a small bit of relief when my voice sounded somewhat normal. "I just kinda spaced out there for a second. I'll be fine." I slowly stood up from my seat and nodded in my rival's direction, but with this darkness swallowing us, I doubted he could see as well as I could. I kinda had a bit better night vision than most people.

It's a perk of all those restless nights of training.

Before I could go and attack our intruders, I took a moment to prepare myself in case of the worst. Once my oh so secret technique had been completed, I looked behind me to my rival. I choked down a laugh as he seemed to fumble in the darkness for his Crobat, reaching out to thin air like a blind man and hoping that his Pokémon was close by.

Unfortunately for him, Crobat was in the _opposite_ direction to his grabbing.

"Silver," My voice obviously startled him, for he jumped in the air with a small squeak. He shot me a glare—which I ignored—and reached to his belt. "I'll lead the way. You stay close behind me and I'm sure we'll take these fools out."

"Lyra Soul," I cringed as a harsh tone invaded his voice. "Just _how_ in Lugia's name are you supposed to see in this place?" He shot his hands to his arms and shivered as the lack of a heater started to take its toll. "Be-Besides, it's freezing in here! If you run off and play hero, I'll end up freezing to death!"

"Relax," I stopped for a moment as I suddenly had an idea. Oh, it was a stupid idea. It was a _terrible_ idea. However, I've learned that over my journey that my stupid ideas usually work. ...Not counting the time I thought sassing Ho-Oh when he was being pushy in Ecruteak was a good idea. We all know how _that_ turned out.

I slowly reached out towards my rival and found his hand in the darkness. With bright cheeks, I lightly held his cold fingers in my palm. A small jolt from my rival told me that he wasn't expecting such an action, and before he could tease me about being afraid of the dark, I shot an excuse his way.

"I-It's just so you won't complain about being left behind! If you're so nocturnally-challenged recently, then I guess I'll just have to lead you like a child." Curse my stuttering! I never could understand how I neglected to rid myself of such a pesky trait over the years. Then again, some people think it's cute...but I'm not one of them.

"Whatever." A small lift told me my rival had shrugged. Another sound, this one the fluttering of wings, told me that Crobat had decided to take a rest on his Trainer's shoulder. "Just don't start sweating or something. That's just gross."

"I won't, smart-mouth." I held the urge to yell as I pulled him away from the small seating area. With a quick squeeze to silence him, I lead the way to the dismal hallway. Every footstep seemed to echo off of the tiles below our feet, ringing out and telling the intruders exactly where we were. I gulped down a rising feeling and tried to keep calm.

_I am a Pokémon Trainer._ My thoughts decided to give me the pep-talk of old as my rival simply followed my every step. _I am strong, confident and able to handle anything. My Pokémon and I shall always be step-in-step, right beside each other and taking on anything that comes our way. No matter what, I will remain strong._

_ I shall overcome._

The sound of crashing glass snapped me out of my thoughts with a jolt. Before I could properly react, a cold blast rushed past my shoulder. Crobat let out a pained cry as he seemed to be struck. Silver started to panic behind me, pulling his hand from my grasp and calling out to his Pokémon to get up. My heart raced as the sound of footsteps echoed off the walls as if they were made of stone.

"Well, well, well." My heart stopped as a familiar voice rang in my ears. Cruelty dripped out of every sound as I found myself backing away. He couldn't be here. He was supposed to be in prison with the rest of them. He _couldn't_ be here. "If it isn't a pair of mice. Well, we'll just have to exterminate them, won't we?"

I shook my head to rid myself of that dreaded voice. It wasn't him. I _knew_ it wasn't him. That man with teal hair was long gone. This man talking wasn't him. Their voices were strikingly different, this I knew. My mind was just panicking. I knew that this was all just a wild nightmare that I had plunged myself in.

"_Lyra_!"

I snapped back as my rival's voice rang out behind me as if it was the only thing here. My ears rang with the sound as I whirled around. Panic engulfed me as I found my rival held hostage by a man in black, his arms thrashing violently as he tried to escape. Rage flooded my veins as I clenched my fist. I knew that uniform anywhere. How _dare _they show up once again, when I had spent so long in taking them out! I wasn't going to let this happen. Not now, not ever again.

"Let him go!" Without even thinking, I launched myself at Silver's attacker. The man let out a strange sound as he staggered back. Silver fell to the floor as I started to punch the man and force him back, trying to get him away from my rival. I wasn't even going to let my precious Pokémon _see_ their disgusting faces. After all that they've done, I wasn't going to give them the mercy of a Pokémon battle.

"You idiot!" A thinner man jumped out of nowhere and knocked me back with a single hit to my stomach. I found myself spinning on polished tiles as I scrapped against the floor. Silver rose to his feet as the men stood side-by-side. "You little pests aren't going to stop us! Not this time!"

I rose to my hands and knees as Silver raced in with his own barrage of attacks. Cleverly aimed blows rained down upon them as I watched on. The men let out a few sounds of pain as my rival weaved in and out, attacking every side. _He fights like a Pokémon; he doesn't even stop. It's almost as if he's been trained to fight with those moves._

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I was acting useless! I was better than this! I had taken out whole battalions of grunts single-handedly before, I wasn't just some pathetic little girl who needed her rival's protection. I rose to my feet with a growl as my rival landed another punch into the thinner man's jaw.

The man was pushed back a ways before he let out a roar. He then suddenly hurled a Pokéball into the hallway, nearly hitting my rival in the face. Before either of us could react, a Sneasel appeared, ready for battle.

"Blizzard!" The man screamed at the top of his lungs and the Pokémon obeyed with little to no resistance. Silver let out a shocked yell as he covered his face with his arms. I was hurled backwards by the bitter winds due to my loose footing and I let out a shocked sound in return.

"Lyra?!" My rival called out above the winds as I struggled to hold on. "Lyra, where are you—" I jolted my head up as my rival's voice just suddenly disappeared. My heart pounded out of my chest as I rushed back to my previous position, praying that those grunts hadn't done something to him.

By the time I got there, my rival was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: FINALLY! We are back to something I'm good at! We've got action, action, action! (and vague hints) What's this? TEAM ROCKET IS IN THE POKEMON CENTER?! HOW THE HECK DID THEY GET HERE?! (and furthermore, why are they here)<strong>

**Wait...what was that little panic moment Lyra Soul had back there? Are my eyes deceiving me? Something...isn't right here. What's this mention of a man with teal hair got to do with anything? And all of this talk about not being calm? Oh, and the mentions of 'keeping her head'. Those don't seem normal.**

**And on a related note...**

_**WHAT HAPPENED TO SILVER?!**_


	14. Just Making Things Worse

**Part XIV: Just Making Things Worse**

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><p>The sound of my heart pounding filled every inch of my body with dread. Blood rushed in my ears as I stood there, panting for breath. My knees felt as if they were nothing but marshmallows below me, shivering and shaking as if they would let me drop to the floor. The hallway, once so full of activity was silent with a deadly chill.<p>

Crobat was gone. The men were gone.

My rival was gone.

I struggled to breathe as panic surged through my systems. I had failed. Instead of relying on my Pokémon, I used my own strength. Because of that foolish move, the grunts had escaped. To make matters worse, they had stolen both my precious rival and his Pokémon.

_No!_ I snapped into a growl as I fought to reignite some flame of bravery. _I won't let them take him! Those pathetic fools! They will pay for their sins against mankind and Pokémon!_ My breaths came out rough and violent as my voice merged with one I held far too familiar. _Those insolent scourges will pay with their lives! No evil shall escape my wrath! No one shall escape their righteous punishment!_

My feet took off before the rest of my body could even react, sending me racing down the hall. Remains of the Blizzard lingered in the corners as white dust, coating the pale tiles. My breath became a cloud of smoke trailing behind me as I blindly raced down the long stretch.

No, I wasn't blindly running around. Something else was guiding me through these chilled halls. My mind was fogged with rage, something far too dangerous for myself to handle. But, I couldn't back out now. If this rage engulfed me, then so be it! All that mattered was finding my rival before those disgusting fools did something irreversible.

I snapped my attention up from the floor and found the two men standing around in front of a closet. I narrowed my eyes to focus on the larger of the grunts, the one that had held my rival hostage beforehand. He would be the first to taste my fury.

"Boss!" My target noticed me running towards them with a jolt. The thinner man spun around with a cringe before glaring at me. I wasn't going to hold back this time. I was going to make them pay.

"No matter!" The man reached for his belt as I gained ever closer. "I'll take care of you just like that little friend of yours!" Before I could even register the shock from his comment, he hurled a Pokéball into the air.

A Sneasel once again landed in the narrow pathway, trying to block me with its claws. I didn't even so much as reach for my belt as I continued to run ahead. In fact, I didn't even so much as give it a glance as I _jumped over its head and kept running for the two men_.

"U-Uh, Boss!" The thicker man jumped before turning to his leader. In a matter of seconds, I would reach them. I wasn't about to stop just to engage in some petty battle. They had lost that honor when they stole my rival. "She's not stopping!"

"Then do something, you_—_" The thin man was cut off by my jaw connecting with his chin. The man staggered back and shot me a glare of defiance. His partner just stared at me with wide eyes, unable to comprehend this turn of events. I focused on the two men and then did the only thing left for such monsters.

With a loud yell, I launched myself at the ringleader.

A fury overwhelmed my systems alright, just as it always did when I went up against the monsters that made up Team Rocket's ranks. However, instead of the blindness and feelings of being directed, I only felt the raw hatred and the desire to strike them where they stood. My left hand burned with a slightly less powerful heat than my usual attacks, making some lingering corner of my mind question why I hadn't entered my previous mode of rage.

After a few more hits connected with pale skin, I was thrown back by a slam from the larger man. I growled as I nearly lost my footing on the still cooled floors. I snapped up just in time to see the leader stepping forward with a black rod.

"I tried to play nicely, little mouse." He snapped his wrist and suddenly the rod extended outwards. "Truly, I did. But when a pesky rodent keeps bothering ya', you gotta call an exterminator!"

Before I could get out of the way, the man thrust the rod into my stomach. I let out a scream of pain as a surge of electricity raced through my body. A few seconds later and I found myself crumpled on the floor, my arms and legs shivering with small shockwaves of agonizing pain. My breath struggled to get up or down my throat as I laid on my side and looked up at the disgusting creature before me. The man shot me a grin as he folded the strange device back to a more portable size.

"Well then," He let out a snort of satisfaction as I fought to breathe and to stop the spasms in my limbs. "That takes care of our rodent problem." The thicker man slowly walked up to his leader with eyes wide. A mixture of both wonder and horror shimmered in soulless black orbs as he looked down at me. I wanted more than anything to spit in their faces, to stomp on their feet or to kick them in a place that I could _really_ make them feel pain.

However, lying on the floor like a discarded doll makes those options quite a bit difficult.

"Matt!" The thinner man turned to his subordinate with a glare. "Wrap this pesky thing up and dispose of her! I'll go find that ditz in charge and figure out where she's keeping all of the Pokémon people send to that darn computer system." He looked over his shoulder as he passed his black-haired cohort.

"But sir," The man with black hair turned to give him a look of worry. "What about her Pokémon?"

"Pfft," Horror raced up my spine as I realized that my Pokémon where now left at their mercy. Their _nonexistent_ mercy. "Take 'em like we took the boy's. We'll send them off later with the rest of the haul." I fought to do something, _anything_ as the man leaned down and took my white belt off my waist.

"Sorry about this," The man let out a bit of a whisper as he flung my precious partners over his shoulder like some sort of prize. "But you shouldn't have gotten in the way." The man didn't speak another word as he sat me up and pulled out some sort of fabric from his back pocket. Once my feet and hands stopped twitching, he used the cloth to tie my wrists together.

_Let me go! Give me back my Pokémon!_ An infinite amount of insults raced to my motionless mouth as I found myself being picked up by the man. _I swear, when I get the feeling back in...well, everything, I'm going to tear you apart! You'll be a mess on the floor when I'm done with you!_ The man ignored my mental threats as he unlocked the nearby closet, slowly pulled the door open and let out a sigh.

"Well, looks like you'll be staying here for now on." I numbly stared at the man's shoes as he took a deep breath. "Man, I hate this part." He then suddenly spun me around until I was pointed straight towards the closet, my body flat as a board in the middle of the air. "Well, hope you don't bust your head open or something."

Before I could mentally question the meaning of such a statement, I was flung inside of the dark pit in the wall and sent crashing into something. The last thing I heard was a shuffling of feet and a slamming of the door before the man left me in the all-consuming darkness. I fought to catch my breath as the sound of the locking of a door rang out in the small space.

_Ho-oh help me now._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: And that, my dear readers, is why we carry our Pokémon. We must rely on them in times of great distress, instead of trying to use your brute strength to your advantage. After all, we are partners in this strange world. When you need help, your Pokémon are always there to help you.<strong>

**Anyways, it seems things are going downhill very quickly. Lyra, how many times do I have to tell you not to be so impulsive? Ugh, heroes these days are just so stubborn! (Oh wait...) **

**Would you look at that. More mentions of blinding rage and pounding people. Dang Lyra, what the heck is up with you today? You would think that if a girl woke up in her crush's arms, she would have a good day. Apparently, that's not the case here. These kids certainly know how to attract trouble.**

**These certainly aren't the type of grunts she's faced before. Those grunts run away screaming whenever they get even so much as a single slap to the face, let alone a barrage of punches to your face and gut. These thugs apparently are a different breed of Rocket! Will Silver and Lyra be able to get their Pokémon back? Will they survive? You'll just have to wait and see!**

**[Viewers of the _Pokémon Origins _anime might recognize the 'black rod of doom' that was used against Marowak in Episode Two. I believe it is some more violent form of a taser. In other words, it _really stinkin' stings._]**


	15. Riot in the Hallways!

**Part XV: Riot in the Hallways!**

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><p>My heart was slamming against my ribcage as I tried to think of a plan. <em>I've been held hostage before. I can do this. That disgusting man trained me how to escape these situations with ease. I can handle this.<em> I forced my breathing to slow from its frantic rush before I pushed myself into a sitting position with my feet. _First things first, find a sharp surface. That shouldn't be too hard, seeing as I'm currently being held inside of a closet._

Just as I was about to push myself backwards, I heard a sound that made my blood freeze.

A high-pitched scream of pain rang out, echoing through the small space and sending my heart into a storm of thuds. _No,_ I fought to remain calm as the sound seemed to last an eternity and shake the small chamber until it threatened to collapse. _That can't be. That couldn't have been_—

My thoughts were interrupted by someone unlocking the closet door. I snapped my head up and found the larger brute standing before me with a grim expression. My eyes grew wide with horror as I found a stiff form held in his grasp, bound at the wrists with clouded eyes.

"Man, I hate this part." The man let out a few mutters before moving the motionless frame backwards. Her small frame was then spun around as to face the closet fully before he let out a sigh. "Well, hope you don't bust your head open or something."

I fought to escape as the man lurched her form backwards and then hurled her like a log inside of the closet. What little breath I had was forced out of me as the stiff body slammed into my chest, sending my head crashing backwards with the impact. Before I could fight for a breath, the man slammed the door and locked me in once again.

Darkness consumed my vision as I struggled to adjust to the lack of light once again. After a few blinks here and a groan of pain there from the heavy weight that was now resting on my abdomen, I managed to readjust to the lack of light. It was only after I had found a bit of air that my attention snapped to the newest captive.

"_Mmph!_" I mentally cursed myself for even so much as _trying_ to talk to her at this point. For starters, I was gagged to the point that I felt like a Ponyata in a brindle. Second point, but the most important one was a bit more complicated than my current restrictions.

I had no idea if she was still alive.

_Please don't let her be dead._ A few agonizing seconds ticked by with no movement besides the labored rise and fall of my chest, sending me into a panic. _Please, let this be like the time she fell off of Ho-Oh. Please let her just _look_ dead but actually be alive. Please let her live!_

"Nngh," My heart stopped as a slight sound rang in my ears. At once, I snapped my attention down to my chest and found a slight movement registering in my vision. Sure enough, my rival's cheek was resting against my chest as her nose twitched. I held my breath as she started to gasp for air, opening her mouth and gulping it down as if it was the only chance she had.

A sharp pain in the corners of my mouth reminded me that smiling while gagged wasn't the best idea. Either way, I watched on as she slowly lifted her head and looked around with wide eyes.

"..Crap." I watched as she glared over her shoulder, lifting herself into a sit. "That was a terrible idea. Now how am I supposed to..." Her voice died off as horror slipped across her face.

"My Pokémon! Oh, what have I done?" I narrowed my eyes with slight annoyance as she started to gasp for air again. "They've stolen my Pokémon! Oh, I'm such an idiot! Now they could do anything to them, and I'm stuck inside of a stupid closet! I'm such an idiot!"

I decided that now was a good time as any to interrupt her soliloquy.

"_Mpph! Mmmph!_" I purposely shouted through the gag, which of course made nothing but strange grunts and hisses beyond this thick fabric. My rival froze in place as she suddenly realized that she wasn't alone. Her eyes locked on mine and for a fraction of a second, a bit of relief and joy flashed through those powerful orbs.

"Silver!" She immediately leaned towards me with a beaming grin on her face. "Am I glad to see you! I was so worried about you!" I stopped struggling as she kept on talking. "I thought that those disgusting monsters might have hurt you or...worse." Her expression fell for a moment before returning to eager relief. "But I'm _so_ glad that you're here!"

_Wait...she was...worried about me?_ A strange warmth rose in my chest as she smiled down at me. _My rival...was worried about me? She's glad to see me?_ I shook my head and tried to push those thoughts aside. Now was not the time for mushy crap. I had Pokémon to rescue.

"Ah," She paused as she _finally_ noticed the fact that I was basically silent. "They gagged you. Here, I'll get rid of that." I mentally grinned as I closed my eyes and waited for her to untie me. A few seconds later and a sharp tug on the fabric told me that she was already at work.

However, the memory of seeing her hands tied snapped my attention away from a pleasant escape.

I opened my eyes to find to my horror...no...my _absolute disgust_ that she was tugging on my gag with _her mouth like some kind of Pokémon_. Heat rose to my face like never before as she gave the fabric another sharp yank. The gag flew off of my mouth with one last yank, leaving me sitting there with embarrassed terror as my rival grinned with triumph.

A few seconds of silence stretched between us before I let out a growl of anger. "_Just what were you thinking_?!" I relished at the sound of my own voice as my rival flinched. She spat out the gag with a frown as I glared at this strange rival of mine. "You don't ungag someone with your_ mouth_, idiot! What if you accidentally—" I stopped as I found myself shuddering at the mental image of what could have happened.

"Relax, redhead." My rival apparently wasn't even upset with this. "I did what I had to do. You were bound and gagged, I was bound but _not_ gagged. Therefore, I used the one thing I had left to free your pesky mouth." I opened said mouth to spit out another insult when I became painfully aware of another problem.

"Uh...Lyra?" The girl tilted her head with dignity and serious eyes as I just gulped down horror and disgust. "...Do you know what you're sitting on?"

She stopped for a moment before giving me an odd look. I just rolled my eyes with bright cheeks before motioning with my head towards the object of my embarrassment. The girl glared at me before giving the area a passing glance. Lyra Soul didn't even bat an eye as she snapped her attention back up to me with a raised eyebrow.

Once her brain processed the problem, she did a frantic double-take.

She once again lifted her head towards me, this time with vibrant cheeks and an open mouth. She sputtered on her words for a minute before she turned her head away and fell to the floor. Once the undesired—I swear it—weight on my gut was removed, I sat up proudly and gave her a glare.

"Took you long enough to realize that you were basically str—"

"_Don't even say it_!" I couldn't help but grin at the flustered sounds that escaped her as she tried to remain calm. "_It was an honest to Ho-Oh accident, and I don't need you to rub it in!_ I swear on Ho-Oh's tail feathers, I _did not _mean to do that under _any_ circumstances!"

I just tilted my head up with a grin as an angry huff escaped her. "Well, seems to me that you were _awfully _comfortable there, little rival." I glanced out of the corner of my eye to find her hiding her face in her hands and fighting to breathe. "In fact, I have a feeling that you wouldn't have moved unless I told you about it."

"_Sh-Shut up_! Stop being a pain!"

I just shook my head and narrowed my eyes as I continued to tease her. "Says the girl who ungagged me in the first place."

She shot me one of her practiced glares, the one that meant _'shut-up-or-I'll-shut-you-up-myself'_. At that point, I decided that if I wanted to get out of this closet alive, I might as well save this for later. But I was _definitely _going to taunt her about her choice in seating later.

"Well," Her voice was a flustered huff, making me grin. "I'm going to need you to get me out of this mess and get rid of these wrist restraints." I slowly turned my head to face her as I found her lifting her chin with silent pride. I just blinked at her for a few moments before taking upon myself to remind her of a crucial fact.

"Woman, in case you suddenly turned blind, _I've got wrist restraints too_!"

"I know that, idiot." I gave her a growl as she just _stood up and walked back to my feet_. My jaw dropped open as she sat on the top of my shoes and glared at me. "However, your mouth is certainly free at the present moment."

"Bu-But..." I fought to find words as she simply stared at me. "_Why aren't you all tied up_?!"

She just let out a snort and shook her head. "The guy who bound me up only had a really frayed handkerchief in his pockets, so he used that to keep my hands tied together. He apparently didn't have enough rope after tying you up." She took a moment to scan my situation before chuckling. "I wouldn't be surprised if he used a whole box of 'em on you."

"Genius," I glared at her as she continued to wait there as if it were perfectly acceptable to sit on your friends—er, rivals. "In case you've forgotten, my wrists are just as tied as yours are." My rival gave me a long stare before simply laughing the facts off as if they were nothing.

"I'm not expecting you to use your hands." It was only a heartbeat before she scooted closer to me and stuck her hands out expectantly. "In case you've forgotten, your mouth is _very_ free right now."

I felt heat rising to my face at the suggestion, mostly due to the fact that it was plain _weird_. "Lyra Soul!" My rival just tilted her head from side-to-side as I tried to hold on to my dignity. "How the heck do you expect me to get you out of that mess—"

"Look here, redhead." She silenced me with a harsh glare, making me rue the day she ever grew some confidence. "You have quite the sharp canine tooth on your right side there. Trust me, you've bitten me hard enough to remember that bad boy of yours." I gave her a growl as she just shook her head, shaking some of her loosened chocolate locks over her shoulder.

"The fabric he used is quite weak. I _could_ just rip it off, but I'm afraid doing so will just rub my wrists raw." She closed her vibrant eyes for a minute with a sigh before looking at me with a pleading look. "So, you scratch my back, I scratch yours. You bite through this ragged old thing, and I'll untie the rest of you."

"You idiot!" I felt like screaming at the top of my lungs to see if that would get the point across, however I had to remain slightly quieter than that if I were to escape this closet undetected. "How am I supposed to bit through some nasty old rag? You've got to be kidding me!"

Lyra rolled her eyes before giving me another glare. "Simply lean forward, I'll lean backwards, and then you can gnaw through them. It's that simple." She paused for a moment before giving me a sly grin. "If you can't reach me from here, I guess I'll just have to come a bit closer..."

I cut her off right there by snapping myself forward and grabbing the cloth with my mouth. I mentally cringed and outwardly shuddered as I found the fabrics to taste like sweat. I prayed to Lugia that said sweat was from my rival and _not_ from that Rocket grunt...not that the owner of the sweat made any difference.

"Ah," Lyra stopped to let out a chuckle of triumph. "Thank you very much, redhead. I'll be sure to get us out of here, just wait and see." I simply rolled my eyes and focused on not hurling over the fact that I was chewing through the faded cloth as if I was a Rattata.

_Focus, Silver. You'll be out of here soon enough._ I gulped down a bit of excess saliva and tried to keep myself from just giving up. _You'll get her back for this. Once you're free, you can rescue your Pokémon and get the heck out of here! Then, you can devise some form of payback for this little stunt._

I almost let out a whoop of joy once the rag dropped from her wrists and landed on my lap. My rival however spared no sound and automatically let out a sigh of relief. "Finally! I thought that I would be stuck sitting here forever!" She quickly jumped to her feet and gave me a beaming grin. "Thank you _so_ much, Silver! Honestly, I was starting to worry about my circulation!"

"That's very nice." I nodded my head with a fake smile before snapping back to the more important matters. "Now _get me untied_!"

The brunette stopped her little cheering and slowly turned her attention towards me. She stared at me for a minute before shrugging her shoulders and folding her arms. "Actually, I think I prefer you all held back like that. It makes you much more tolerable."

"_Get me out of here_!"

Lyra simply shot me a glare before getting down on her knees and started pulling on the ropes. "I was only kidding, Silv. Try not to get your boxers in a bunch." An overwhelming heat rose to my face at her words, making me struggle to remain calm. After a few heartbeats, I realized that such things were impossible.

"S-Shut up! Don't talk about my underwear!"

Lyra just rolled her eyes and tried to find the knots holding this mess together. "Again, only joking." She let out a few mutters that sounded suspiciously like _'besides-it's-not-like-I-know-what-they-look-like-or-anything'_ before finally locating the main knot. Lyra then narrowed her eyes in concentration and got to work in loosening the bonds.

I tried to remain calm as the seconds ticked away. It felt like she would _never_ get that thing untied! It was times like this that I missed my old pocketknife. Too bad I left it in my bag, which was currently stashed under the bed in our—I mean my—room in the Pokémon Center. In other words, it was utterly useless to me right about now.

"Got it!" Lyra let out a grin as the ropes dropped limply to the hard floor. "Dang, those thugs know how to tie a knot far better than the ones I've met in Azalea."

I slowly stood up with a sigh and smiled with relief. "Yeah," I rolled out my shoulders to free myself from stiff muscles as my rival rose to her feet to get rid of the remaining hand restraints. "They must have learned from those Rockets back in Mahogany instead."

At the mention of the old Rocket base, Lyra let out a rabid growl and gave the cloth around my wrists a hard tug. I cringed in pain as she then violently tried to remove the last of the restraints. It was then that I recalled that the base was a very sore subject for my rival.

Hey, how was I supposed to know that she hated bringing up the time when Team Rocket actually captured her and threw her into a jail cell? ...Wait, that's a pretty obvious thing once you think about it. Well, at least she got out thanks to a handsome stranger with red hair and a strong Pokémon.

Just between you and me, it wasn't some cape-wearing zero.

"There." I snapped my attention back to my rival as the cloth fell to the floor. "That's the last of them." I felt a slight discomfort rise in the back of my throat as I found her usually cheerful or arrogant tone replaced with a serious chill. "Now, it's high time we taught those crooks a lesson." She took a few steps towards the door before abruptly stopping in front of me. I tilted my head in confusion before standing beside her.

"Luckily," She reached up towards her chest and frowned. "I happened to prepare for such a situation." It was then that my rival did something unthinkable. She did something so terrible, so _horrifying_, that I cannot even bear to speak of it. I ended up hiding my face in my hands and praying that I could erase that memory from my mind permanently.

Unfortunately for me and anyone else who has ever wished for such a thing, it was impossible.

When I removed my hands from my face, my rival was holding two Pokéballs in her hands and glaring at the door. "Those fools think they can steal my Pokémon? Well, they have another thing coming!" She hurled the capsules down beside her and released a familiar duo.

The Ice Demon and Petalsaurus let out proud roars of determination as my rival held her left hand near her chest before snapping it shut with a hiss. Yet again, the strange mark seemed to glow in the low light. I narrowed my eyes as my rival took a few steps back before glaring at the door once again.

"You better watch your back, Team Rocket, because Lyra Soul is here to send you right back to the ashes you came from!"

It was then that my rival ran shoulder-first towards the closet door and burst through it as if it were nothing. I let out a small sound of shock as her beloved Pokémon simply let out a happy roar and raced after their Trainer. Muttering a few curses under my breath, I raced after them with squeaking sneakers.

By the time I had caught up with them, Lyra had found the two men once again. The girl let out a harsh sound that reminded me of an angry Pokémon before inching closer to the duo. Hackles raised, her Glaceon stalked forwards with a loud growl of warning. Her Meganium did the same, not a single moment of anxiety or hesitation as he readied a pair of vines to lash out against his foes. The two grunts just stood there, shivering with fear.

"It's time for you to pay for your sins, you disgusting scourges!" I was taken aback by the sound of my rival's voice. Instead of the usual tone or even the cold hatred she had shown in the closet, a deadly sound dripped out of her mouth. "I, the chosen one of Ho-Oh and his loyal servant, shall send you back to the ashes whence you came!" I jolted in horror as I found her voice to continue to change with every step she took, sounding nothing like my cocky, proud and joyful rival.

_"It is time for you to burn in the flames of judgement!"_ I gasped as she suddenly lunged for the two men as if it were nothing. Her Pokémon stopped their approach and started calling out with frantic roars and howls, but their Trainer paid no heed. In fact, it was almost as if she couldn't hear them.

I watched on in frozen terror as my rival pounded the men with powerful punches and furious kicks, her hands and feet seemingly glowing as if they were surrounded in fire. Lyra Soul raced up to the thicker grunt before slipping into a handspring and soaring into the air with a harsh yell. The man didn't have a single second before the girl raced past his head and delivered a powerful aerial frontflip-kick in between his shoulder-blades. The man fell to the floor like a boulder before my brunette rival slowly turned her attention to the leader.

The man stood there for a minute before letting out a high-pitched scream and running away. My rival didn't even so much as flinch. She simply watched him run off a little ways before lifting a hand straight out towards him and closing her eyes. Suddenly, a harsh orange light engulfed her hand only seconds before _a blast of flame exploded from her palm and raced towards the grunt_.

I shook my head in disbelief before rubbing my eyes. _Am I imagining things?!_ I opened my eyes wide just in time to see the flames crash into his back and force him to the floor. An inhuman scream escaped him as his head hit the floor. A sickening twist in my stomach arose when he didn't move. _This can't be happening._

I gulped down horror and nausea and instead lifted my chin up high. I wasn't about to look weak, even when my rival was doing some freaky crap that seemed absolutely impossible. "Lyra Soul!" I tried to keep my voice steady as the brunette simply stood there with her back towards me. "What are you doing?! What's up with you and the freaky tricks? It's starting to get really weird."

Then, my rival turned on me.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Silver: "I think I just peed myself!" <strong>**Alright, back to some dignity here. It seems this is both an insanely fluffy chapter and a very scary ending. Well, this can't be good. Let's start with the closet, shall we?**

**I'm going to be honest and say that I had _far_ too much fun writing this scene. I mean, you can really tell how they feel about each other when they're taking the time to tease and taunt each other when they're bound and gagged. Really, it's pretty interesting how they prioritize. However, their little bickering makes this easier to survive. They're kinda funny like that. Silver really had his chance to be the taunter/teaser in this chapter, which healed his ego for the time being. (Plus, you guys get a cool HeartGoldHeacanon!Fact about the Rocket Base. That's always nice.)**

**As for the hallway...yikes. That was a little scary considering the whole flames thing. Lyra Soul is one _scary_ little girl. I mean, it was bad enough when she was pounding on them before the whole scary voice thing. Now...I'm starting to wonder if everything as it seems. Silver may or may not have a big problem on his hands with this one. At least we have the loyal Glace and Gani out and about!**

**[In case you guys are confused, Silver got embarrassed about the earlier-mentioned 'secret technique' of his rival, Lyra Soul. Here's a few hints. First off, Lyra held two Pokéballs before she went into the hallway and in a few seconds, she held none. However, when her belt was stolen, she was able to conjure up two of her most powerful Pokémon with no difficulty. There's only one way that this could happen...Lyra Soul has magical power!]**

**[...I'm kidding. The truth is...she hid them in a 'secret compartment' known only to women. ...In other words...a certain something comes in handy when it comes to infiltration and hiding your Pokémon.]**


	16. The Flames of Punishment

**Part XVI: The Flames of Punishment**

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><p>Time seemed to stand still as my rival slowly turned to face me. The famous Ice Demon and Petalsaurus were now letting out panicked howls and roars as the once cheerful brunette let out an inhuman growl. My heart slammed against my chest until all I could hear was the sound of my own heartbeat. <em>What's going on?<em> I gulped down fear as I took a few steps back. My rival's head dipped to the floor as she finally faced me head-on. _This is impossible._

That panic only got worse as she lifted her head to expose burning red eyes. I fought back tears as she suddenly gained black rings around her eyes and eyes the color of fresh blood. Her breath came out as harsh, ragged exhales of rage that could send a wild Rhyhorn running for cover.

"Lyra!" My voice came out as a weak squeak as the pesky Glaceon took a few steps forward. "What's wrong with you? Snap out of it!"

Lyra ignored me. She simply let out a piercing roar that sounded almost bird-like. I covered my ears to shield them from the painful pitch as she then snapped her scarred hand in front of her and clenched her fist. Glaceon started to bark before taking a few steps back and _launching himself at his Trainer_.

The Fresh Snow Pokémon ended up headbutting his Trainer's thighs and bouncing off as if Lyra was made of rubber. The Glaceon slammed against the floor with a pained howl before rising to his feet and giving the girl a glare.

I decided right there that something was very, _very _wrong.

"Lyra Soul!" I took a step towards her as her burning eyes rose from the growling Eeveelution back to my face. A burning hatred leaked out of her gaze, causing me to feel as if she was burning a hole in my forehead. "Stop it! It's us, your rival and your Pokémon! There's no reason to act like this!"

The brunette who was once my rival simply let out a roar and launched herself at me. Before I could even react, Meganium lunged forward and held the girl back with his vines. I froze in fear as the girl was held back by only two measly vines. As if those would keep her away from us. The girl squirmed in Meganium's grasp before letting her hands glow a harsh orange light once again. Before I could warn the Pokémon, fireballs launched themselves at the vines with a deadly accuracy.

Meganium let out a pained yip as he waved his vines around in a panic. I immediately stepped forward and forced the two Pokémon back as Lyra Soul—or, what's left of her—landed gracefully on her feet. I growled at the two Pokémon as they tried to pass me, holding them back with arms spread wide.

"Get back, you idiots! She's shooting fireballs and you're both weak to fire!" _And yet, I can't beat you two to save my life._ I pushed the thought aside before snapping my attention back to the girl before me. "Lyra, snap out of this! You're hurting your Pokémon!"

_"Silence, you rotten scourge!"_ I found my eyes widening with sick fear as the voice that emerged from her mouth was identical to the one from my nightmares. _"It's time for you to pay for your sins against Pokémon and humankind alike!"_ She then rose her hands at her sides and snapped her fingers. Suddenly, flames emerged from both hands as if she were nothing more than a Pokémon in a human skin. _"You cannot escape the wrath of the great bird of rebirth!"_

It was at that exact moment that she raced towards me and landed a harsh punch to my gut. I found myself falling backwards and crashing to the floor as a nauseous feeling rose in my throat. Looking up at the brunette gave me only seconds before she tried to land another hit on my face. I tilted away just seconds before she hit me, allowing her to slam her fist into the tiles and create a fresh crater.

_You'll have to fight to escape this mess. _A voice in my mind managed to urge me to my feet as to dodge another punch._ This isn't your rival. You'll fight to survive or die at her hands, just as those grunts have._ I gulped down raw panic and shuffled out of reach to avoid more hits from my blinded rival. _If you're lucky, you may avoid the same fate of those pathetic Rockets._

Another punch just grazed my cheek as I found myself being forced back by her endless attacks. It was then that I muttered an apology and slammed my palm into her chest. My rival skidded back with wide eyes before snapping back to my face. I swallowed my hesitation and instead started blocking her attacks with my arms, making her wrists slam into my arms to prevent her from hitting me.

A nasty snarl escaped her as she started to increase the speed and try even harder to burn my face off of my head. I hissed in pain as I found the hit to my stomach slowing me down. But, I couldn't just give up. I'll end up dying here in this hallway. I found myself fighting her back and cringing with every punch to her sides and arms. Every part of me was screaming against this, but I had no choice. This wasn't my rival anymore. It couldn't be.

"_Glace_!" I looked over my shoulder to find my rival's loyal Glaceon running full speed to his Trainer and burying his face into her shin. For the smallest fraction of a second, clarity returned to her vision before fading away and returning to deep crimson orbs of hatred. "_Glace on glae_!"

I looked up with wide eyes just seconds before being hit in my right arm. The flame-covered fist seemed to burn through my entire body upon impact, making me gasp for breath. _What just happened? He just cuddled up to her and then she looked normal..._ It was then that I had an idea. It was a terrible idea. It was a _horrible_, foolish idea. But, it was the only idea I had left.

"Meganium!" I looked over my shoulder to find the Pokémon jolting in the shock of being called something other than an insult. "Copy Glaceon! Go do whatever he just did!" The green Pokémon gave me a harsh glare before running after his teammate and rubbing his face into her stomach. At that exact second, Lyra's face contorted into a cringe of pain and she slammed her eyes shut.

"Well," I gulped before running at her after the Pokémon. "I really hope this works!" Before any rational part of my mind could object, I launched myself at my rival and _held her tight_. The girl immediately stiffened under my arms, but I held on. Yeah, the thought makes me feel a bit sick to my stomach, to be honest. However, I was currently trying not to die, so you get a little desperate.

I slammed my eyes shut and waited for the burning pain of another punch, only it didn't come. I cautiously opened my eyes to find to my astonishment that my rival was as still as a statue. Slowly, her eyelids drooped as the deep crimson flushed out of her eyes. The bold black around her eyes faded to a sickly pale white as her face softened. For the slightest second, I wondered if this would just revert back and leave me an open target for another attack. However, her falling limp in my grasp certainly changed my mind.

"Lyra!" I lowered myself to the floor to prevent her from crashing head-first and found myself holding a motionless rival once again. Meganium and Glaceon simply sat beside me and watched on with narrowed eyes. My systems were flooded with fear and regret as she simply laid there without even a single sign of _breathing_. "Lyra, c'mon! Move, you little pest! This isn't the time for a nap!"

My eyes started to sting as the seconds ticked away with not a single response. _You're so stupid! There's no reason for you to start crying! That's for weaklings, you know! Besides, why cry over such a pathetic excuse for a human being? She's nothing to you but an obstacle._

_Because,_ a much a lighter voice spoke in some abandoned corner of my mind. _I care about her._

It was just when this thought escaped me that a small droplet of water fell on my rival's cheek. I sniffled, trying to prevent myself from breaking here in this cold hallway. The Glaceon and Meganium beside me simply watched on as I took a deep breath and tightened my grip on her side and head. "C'mon...don't do this...wake up..."

I felt as if my heart stopped beating as she continued to be motionless.

I then slammed my eyes shut and felt as if I was flooding my face. Salty water rushed into my mouth as I fought to hold _some_ part of me together. Glaceon let out a quiet whimper as it seemed he understood what was going on. Lyra's Meganium didn't make a sound, perhaps in silent mourning. Everything happened so quickly, I had no idea what caused this.

Just then, a small shift on my lap told me that I had better open my eyes and take a look. My eyes snapped open to find my rival letting out a small groan and shifting with discomfort. I watched as her eyes fluttered open before slamming shut once again. A low groan of pain filled the haunting void.

"Nngh, oh Ho-Oh..." Glaceon started to bark excitedly as his partner woke up. "I just..." It was then that she lifted her gaze to my face. Hazel eyes widened as her hands shot up to my neck. I didn't have enough time to even flinch as she pulled herself up and nearly choked me to death.

"Silver! Are you alright?" She quickly pulled herself away to narrow her bright eyes in judgement. "You're not hurt, are you? Oh my—" She stopped and pulled herself away even further and abruptly touched a hand to my cheek. I let out a hiss as I found the contact burning with a sharp bolt of pain. "You're burnt..."

"Lyra," I struggled to keep myself from hugging her or doing something stupid. "What in the name of Lugia was that freaky crap you just did?!" Her eyes dodged my own as I sharpened my gaze. "You were trying to _kill_ me! You even attacked your Pokémon, for crying out loud!"

Her attention immediately snapped to her Pokémon. "Glace! Gani!" The two mentioned Pokémon jumped to their feet and raced to their Trainer. We were immediately tackled by two over-zealous Pokémon and I was pushed aside in the commotion. I just shook my head and tried to decode this situation for myself.

_She acted insane, probably killed two Team Rocket grunts and then tried to kill me. Now she's perfectly fine and hugging her Pokémon as if nothing ever happened. Either I'm still sleeping, or this is something related to that stupid 'destiny' she frets about on occasion._ I lifted my head to find Lyra looking over her Glaceon's head and giving me an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry." Her voice is so quiet, I almost missed it. "I understand that this is absolutely insane to you...and I understand if you're scared of me, or hate me—" I cut her off right there.

"I'm not scared." I just lied to her face and I automatically regret it. "I'm just sorta freaked out as to why my rival suddenly gained some fire powers like some Pokémon and tried to kill me, that's all." The horror overwhelmed her features as I just sat there on that cold tile floor, right next to the crater her fist had left.

"Silver I—" She stopped to wipe the corners of her eyes before shaking her head. "I can explain everything to you, I swear it. Just please, give me a chance."

For a minute, I considered getting up and walking away, pretending I never had a rival to begin with. When I signed on that imaginary dotted line to pledge myself to exceeding her strength, I never agreed to the fine print that stated that my rival would go on to be a 'Champion', a 'hero' and a 'chosen one'. That was _never_ part of the deal.

But, like it or not, that was my rival. And even though I honestly hated how every time I turned around, she was five steps ahead with the only lantern to find her way out of the cavern we were stuck in, I was still her rival. And, I'm pretty sure that my position is pretty sought after by _other_ Trainers out there, so I'm pretty skilled to acquire such a job before she became anything more than a sniveling child.

I slowly rose to my feet and watched as her face became filled with raw fear. I simply ignored her current expression as I stuck a hand in one of my pockets and walked down the hall. I stopped after talking a few steps and slowly extended my unveiled hand down in front of her awe-struck face. A small smirk grew as I watched her slowly smile back.

"Make it quick, Marshmallow-Head. I'm getting sick and tired of being the last to know about supernatural powers, great achievements and overwhelming destinies. I never signed up for this, you know."

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Action-filled chapter? Emotional chapter? In the same chapter? Well, don't know what to say about that. However, I know what to say about a few things contained in this chapter.<br>**

**It seems that everything is solved with love, right? Not really. That was something a bit more than 'hugs are the cure!', folks. Things will be explained in the next chapter, I promise. But, let's focus on what _is _explained in this chapter.**

**So, Lyra Soul wasn't actually _fully_ Lyra Soul in this chapter (until the end). This was shown with the scary voice change. Did anyone see that coming? Well, we all remember the jerk in the yukata, right? Yeah, that's him. Talking for Lyra. LIKE. WHAT. IS. HIS. DEAL? He drives a writer mad, that's for sure! The fire was pretty scary, but luckily Silver's jacket is fire-resistant! (Thank his father for actually _planning_ ahead with that jacket!) It seems that he's still got a mark on his face, which stinks. But, I'm sure things will be alright with Nurse Joy around to help! Either that, or Lyra's gonna have to pull out her first aid kit again.**

**Well, we'll finally get the full story in the next chapter! Hurray!**


	17. The Embers of Explanation

**Part XVII: The Embers of Explanation**

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><p>The bitter cold inside of the hallway gradually warmed back into a suitable temperature, aided by the flames of the previous fight and the great commotion inside of this narrow expanse. Once the tense air died away, I managed to recover our respective belts of Pokémon from the leading Rocket<em>—<em>and perhaps give him a sharp kick to rub it in_—_and regain my beloved partners. Despite the generally cold airs my rival strived to put on, I managed to catch him smiling at his belt and whispering his greetings.

I turned with a smile as Glaceon stood on my shoulders. The weight was ignored as I smiled at my rival. Of course, I was more than relieved to find him mostly unharmed from my tantrum. When such a volatile rage takes over, I have little to no control over where those blows will land. I was overjoyed that the only mark he had to show for my foolishness was a red splotch on his right cheek.

"Hey," I snapped back to attention as I became painfully aware of my rival's gaze on me. I jolted into a more casual position as to throw off the evidence of my staring. "Are your Pokémon alright?" I almost blinked in confusion as I found his attentions fixated on my Pokémon rather than my outright staring.

"Oh! Yeah, they're all in top shape!" I let out a proud puff of air as my Glaceon simply nuzzled my cheek with his chilled muzzle. "These little powerhouses can handle a bit of a scrape, Silv."

I glanced out of the corner of my eyes and nearly beamed as I found his cheeks heating up. It was a relief to get back _some_ ounce of normalcy after such a battle. "Good," Silver's attention switched to his Sneasel_—_who had decided to stay out for a while to keep close to his Trainer_—_on his shoulder. "The last thing we would want is for your Pokémon to be injured with no power for the healing machines." He paused for a moment before shrugging his shoulder. "Not sayin' that my Pokémon need it. My Pokémon are strong enough to handle such a mess."

"That's good to know, redhead." I felt my words lift with a chuckle as he stood there with his usual airs of indifference. It was then that my attention snapped back to his cheek and with it, the events that transpired in this hollow strip of tile. _Looks like I need to explain quite a lot of things...Oh Ho-Oh, why did I end up being such a mess?_ Despite my mental woes, I simply smirked and walked up to my rival.

"Hey, you ready to talk or what?" Silver gave me a baffled look before rolling his eyes in a moment of self-scolding. I just gave him a knowing grin and gently grabbed his arm. Ignoring how my face was warming at the contact_—_I seriously needed to get that under control_—_and how Sneasel was currently giving me a smug grin, I just pulled my rival down the hallway and towards the lobby. Of course, the grunts were out cold and would stay that way for quite a while, so I had nothing to worry about on that front.

Once we had finally reached the couch we had left what felt like days ago, I practically shoved my rival down and gave him a hard stare. Once he folded his arms and muttered a few insults, I took a seat beside him with Glaceon on my lap.

"Alright, so you want to know about that crazy crap I did on those grunts, right?" Silver simply raised an eyebrow at me with a pretty irritated look, so I took that as a yes. "Well," I took a deep breath and started petting Glaceon's back for moral support as I started to explain. "Ho-Oh and I are...a little closer than you might think. He's actually more like my boss than even Lance is now, so I've pretty much been bossed around since the first day of my journey..."

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><p><em>You see, my confused rival, that legendary bird of fire isn't exactly as inactive as the Kimono Girls and Morty like to let on to the general public. You see, for the past few years, Ho-Oh has been in a constant state of rage. The full truth is that he absolutely <em>detests_ the deeds of Team Rocket, and the disappearance of his first chosen one, the girl he wanted to lead the flames of his wrath. Her name was Leaf Flagro, and thanks to her disappearance, suicide, whichever you believe is the truth, Ho-Oh was left without a chosen one._

_ So, I was chosen as her replacement._

_ Every since that fateful decision of his, Ho-Oh has been watching over me and making sure that I followed his path of vengeance. This mark on my hand? Pah! He scarred me with this on that horrible day outside of Cherrygrove City. You were there when it happened, remember? That terrible forest fire that sent us scurrying for cover? That was his doing. It was an omen that he gave to prepare me for my destiny._

_ I know, you thought I was just following you. I was hiding from his flames and the raging storm outside certainly didn't help matters. That was the night that I was marked as a his chosen one, forever. He's told me before that this mark is the mark of Ho-Oh, meaning I'm his chosen one for as long as he sees fit. Which will most likely be until my death, to be honest._

_ I first noticed that this mark wasn't just a scar when I encountered rumors of Team Rocket in Violet City._

_ A man was talking to someone on the phone, explaining that Team Rocket had been seen in Azalea Town near the Slowpoke Well. At that exact instant, I felt an intense rage build inside of me, my afflicted hand burning with an overwhelming heat. Seconds later, these sensations were accompanied by flashes of Team Rocket, pictures of their horrors from Kanto. It was in those few seconds that I felt as if I would burst from the anger growing in my mind. I knew then that I had to do something about them._

_ So, against my better judgment, I headed straight for that Slowpoke Well._

_ After taking out plenty of grunts, I came face-to-face with the monster that was Proton. He was ruthless, a true monster in battle and off the field. With his Pokémon, he managed to defeat all of my team—Pidge, Sen-Sen, Ree—with only Chiko standing before me. My poor partner was on his last legs, panting and grasping for any type of chance at victory. I was left in a corner, fighting for breath and trying desperately to get up._

_ Proton advanced on us, not with his Pokémon, but with his knife. I looked at my poor Chiko and felt a surge of pain flood my mind. This was all my fault. My poor, innocent Pokémon was trying to protect me, even if it cost him his life. All I could do was watch on and pray for a swift end. At that exact moment, Chiko burst with energy, glowing a harsh blue until the explosion of energy sent Proton and Koffing flying into a wall. Even with his evolution into a Bayleaf, Bay couldn't take another step. He fell to the floor with wide, crimson eyes that pierced my core._

_ That was my first rage moment._

_ I found myself flinging myself at that man without an ounce of fear, the desire to rip him apart the only thing in my mind. From the moment he stood up and looked at me with wide eyes, everything faded in and out of consciousness. I was fighting, that much I knew. What I was fighting, why I was fighting and exactly what I was doing, I had no idea. It was like being asleep but getting small glimpses of the things going on outside._

_ It was like taking a single snapshot with an old-style camera and waiting for the film to be exposed to air. By the time the image had reached my mind, the event was long over. It was a nightmare, a living nightmare._

_ After that, I found that any and all encounters with Team Rocket resulted in me losing control and becoming the direct puppet of Ho-Oh—_

_ Yes, Silver...I'm being serious. Ho-Oh _literally_ takes control and fills my mind with his desire of vengeance for all of the wrongs Team Rocket has committed. He is a cruel master, Silver. Being his chosen one is not about calming his rage and letting him live on in peace. It is about ridding the world of his enemies and fighting all dark stains until not a trace remains. It's like looking in the mirror and forgetting who you are. It's as if you know who you _were_, you know who you want _to be_, but for some reason, that face in the mirror _now_ is unknown to you._

_ ...But, that's the life I'm forced to lead. With Team Rocket gone, things have calmed down. I'm not constantly entering a state of blinded rage and anger anymore. I'm actually learning how to block him out now. He still can reach me in moments of true distress such as in the hallway, but for the most part, I'm free of his influence._

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><p>"<em>'Moments of true distress'<em>?" I looked up from the Glaceon on my lap to find my rival holding his Sneasel close to his chest. His eyes narrowed as he gulped down some foreign emotion. "You mean, that moment back there was...a moment of distress? What do you mean?"

I took a deep breath and tried to hide the pain I felt in my chest grow. This was my moment of truth. If I lost my rival now, I don't know how I could live with that. But, I promised. I swallowed down the rising fear and looked my rival in the eyes.

"I was scared, Silver. I'm going to admit that right now. I was scared for myself, my Pokémon and...for you."

He immediately jolted straight up with bright cheeks, holding Sneasel close to his chest. "You were sc-scared about me?! Why would you be scared about me?" His eyes swirled with a mixture of shock, confusion and what appeared to some sort of warm emotion. I had no idea what this last one could be, so I ended up looking away and trying to regain some dignity.

"I-I thought that they might hurt you, alright?!" I found a frustrated yell escaping my mouth as my face burned. There. I had just admitted something so stupid, that I was probably going to receive one _heck_ of a tease for that one. Instead of the laughter I expected, my rival simply sat there in silence. I stole a glance out of the corner of my eyes to find to my utter confusion that he was sitting there with a face as red as his hair.

"...You're so stupid sometimes, Marshmallow-Head." Despite the wording, the sentence was filled with amusement instead of bitterness. I found myself tilting my head towards him with a smug grin as he just let out a chuckle. "Honestly, I've taken care of myself for a long time. Besides, I've saved your butt plenty of times. I could handle some thugs like them."

My little moment of bliss faded away as I once again found my eyes locking on to that burn on his cheek. Every time I looked at it, I felt a harsh rock of regret hit my stomach. My smile died as my rival just laughed on, his eyes closed in a rare moment of enjoyment.

Before I could stop myself, I found myself leaning towards him and placing a hand on the burn. The contact abruptly pulled him out of his little moment and switched to flustered hissing. I just focused on the burn and tried to figure out how bad it was.

"M-Mind explaining your lack of personal space?" Silver's tone was an embarrassed sputter as I prodded and poked that nefarious red blotch. "Be-Because this is-isn't accepted rival be-behavior!"

"I'm trying to see how bad the burn is." I ignored the small space between us, that small six inches of distance that kept us apart. Instead, I focused on the hot spot on his face and tried to forgot that I was _foolishly in love with my rival and far too close to keep myself sane._ "So stop your squirming, Silver." _Ignore the pounding of your heart, perhaps he won't notice. Just pretend that this is Ethan Gold and he's scraped himself up again._ But that idea would never work.

For this was _not_ Ethan Gold and I knew that so well that it hurt. This was not my once-friend-now-estranged-best-friend, this was my stubborn, mysterious, cold, secretly caring rival. He did not have his warm yet distancing ambers that made me squirm. He had those hypnotizing silver pools that caught me in a trace and held me captivated. He did not have his sharp black hair. He had his own vibrant scarlets locks that seemed to be his inner fire on proud display.

And because he was _not_ Ethan Gold, I felt my heart race that much faster.

All I could focus on was the shrinking space between us and how my heart felt as if it was about to explode in my chest under this pressure. All I could think was how much I wanted to erase this façade of mine and just _finish all of this hiding_. All I felt like doing was taking a page out of some cheesy romance novel and _kiss my rival_.

"Uh, Lyra...what in the name of Lugia are you doing?" My rival's voice oh so calmly alert me that I was subconsciously leaning in and _already rubbing noses with my rival._ I completely froze as my rival just sat there acting a little off-put. "Do you need a magnifying glass for that burn, or are you going to fix it already?" Before I could pull away, a sudden intruder appeared.

Just my luck.

"Oh my goodness! That was quiet a scare!" My rival and I both flinched as we found Nurse Joy standing behind the couch with a lantern in hand. "Are you two all right back here_—_" It was at that exact moment that she realized our position. And it was also in that moment that _I_ noticed my position.

Not only was I nose-to-nose with my rival, but I still had a hand on his face and my other hand was right next to his side. His hands had somehow managed to get on my shoulders, leaving me to think that he was seconds away from shoving me off. However, to the newest arrival, this looked like something completely different.

"Oh my! How cute!" Silver and I both let out flustered sputters at her obvious joy. She placed the lantern down on the back of the sofa and then clasped her hands together with a smile. "You two look so cute together! I had no idea that you two were actually a couple when you came here! That explains everything!"

"No no no no no!" I tried to push away, but my rival's default reaction to shock was something like _rigor mortis_ and therefore I was trapped in his grasp. "We're not! I mean, I'm not_—_" My burning face did nothing for my case as I couldn't even get out of my rival's grip. By the glassy look in his eyes, I'm pretty sure he was in some strange state of disbelief. Either that, or she scared him to death with such a devious suggestion.

Oh Ho-Oh I hoped it wasn't that.

"You know what," She waved us on with a grin as she went on. "You two just pretend that I was never here. You just continue with what you were doing, and I'll go restore the generator!" Before I could find some retort for such a evil, downright _villainous_ idea, she was off with hurried footsteps.

Somewhere between my rival's Sneasel letting out another...er, _colorful_ suggestion and my Glaceon barking out in disgust, I ended up blacking out on my rival's chest and passing out. Well, I knew it would happen eventually. After all, that's what always happens after a bought of Ho-Oh's famous rage attacks. I just prayed that when I came to, Silver was somewhat sane and back to normal.

This was by far the freakiest two days of my life.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: CURSE YOU, NURSE JOY! Why do you insist on ruining a perfect moment like that?! (As her movie selection revealed, Nurse Joy is a hopeless romantic. That horror movie? Yeah, Silvon and Leera get together in the end...so, yeah.)<strong>

**Well, we have some backstory on Lyra in this chapter! Hurray for explanations and interrupted explanations! (Also, a bit of LeafGreenHeadcanon!Leaf is mentioned in this one. If you're interested in figuring out why Lyra said _'disappearance, suicide, whichever one you believe'_ as to her whereabouts, I have a one-shot up called _"Remember Me"_ that explains where this thought division originates. LeafGreenHeadcanon! is the predecessor to HeartGoldHeadcanon!, as we have seen by a few hints about Leaf instead of Red. But that's something for another time.**

**Hey guys! I'm running a contest at the moment to see which of my works is the most popular of this year! The winner gets a New Years themed one-shot (and a kiss scene because it is standard) and a New Years themed art-work on my Deviant Art account! Voting ends on December 13th, so cast your votes now! Currently, _"Irritation"_ is tied for the lead with _"The Pains of Being in Cha__rge"_. Cast your vote and break the tie for your favorite series!  
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**(For your information, we're nearing the end. /cue the sadness of the many amazing people who are following this series./ However, if this continues to do so well, I'll write a sequel for you guys set after the Kanto adventures! It will be more of the romance and humor you love, only with the EndGame!Silver. In other words, the Silver who's more emotional. Yay!)**


	18. In Which Everything is Resolved

**Chapter XVIII: In Which Everything is Resolved  
><strong>

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><p>The second that woman's words entered my mind, everything just stopped. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move. I couldn't even so much as <em>think<em> a single thought. As if having my rival suddenly so close to me wasn't bad enough, I get some _adult woman_ cheering me on as if I was _actually_ about to _kiss_ my rival. I mean, I will be the first to admit that this position I found myself in was quite...uncomfortable, but that gives her no right to jump to conclusions.

As a sudden weight pressed against my chest, I felt as if I was about to pass out. My face was burning so much that I couldn't even feel my nose, my ears were ringing from some form of shock or something else, and Sneasel was currently engaged in some bitter spat with Lyra's Glaceon. All in all, this was one of the worst situations I've been in these past two days.

Yes, it even beats being tied up and thrown inside of a closet.

It felt like _hours_ before I could regain some sanity and _bring myself back to the real world._ I blinked furiously for a few seconds before trying to figure out what to say. It was painfully obvious that my rival would throw some sort of _'flirt-insult'_ that she tosses my way on occasion, perhaps something along the lines of charming young girls in this very Pokémon Center in my free time.

However, I did _not _expect to find my rival passed out..again!

It took me a few seconds to adjust to this strange development before shaking myself back to the cold reality that my rival's head was resting against my chest once again while the rest of her just sprawled out in some awkward fashion. However, once this was established, I only had one reasonable option to partake in.

...After I moved my arms off of her shoulders.

After I had righted this unknown wrong, I immediately gave my rival a glare and tried to sit up. But, as I'm sure you are aware, a teenage girl is heavier than you would think, and so I was basically trapped here. Normally I would have yelled or even just outright shoved her off of me. However, with her recent admittance of _'being scared for me'_, I felt a bit...how do I say this...?

I was feeling a bit more...compassionate? Eh, perhaps that's too strong a word. Maybe forgiving would be a better fit in this case. I have a reputation as a top Trainer to uphold and that specifically _bans_ me being all mushy. Besides, I wouldn't _dream_ of going all soft. That's just plain stupid!

"Lyra Soul," I found my voice sharp as I gave her a rough poke on the cheek. The feuding Pokémon nearby stopped abruptly and turned to me with looks of shock. I shook off their rivalry and focused back on my rival. "Get your rear off of me, pest. I think you've had enough _'cuddle time'_ and need to get the heck off of me."

A few seconds ticked by and left me sitting there with my rival basically right on top of me and no response. As you may guess, this made me irritated very quickly. Therefore, ignoring the rabid growling of her Glaceon that signaled for me to get away from my rival, I gave her another shove. This one proved to be just as helpful as the first, leaving me sitting there with a scowl.

"Alright, enough with the tricks, Lyra." I frowned as she continued to just lay there. "I get it. You are _very_ skilled in playing dead. Exceptional, even. However, the last place I want you to display such a pesky trick is on my lap. So," I paused to give her another push. "Off!"

_"Silvy!" _I looked up and found Sneasel giving me a grin. I gave him a scowl as he pointed to my rival. _"Little Ice-Rattata told me that she's out for real! He said that she always does this after that crazy crap in the hallway!"_ I gave him a frown before looking back down to my rival.

"Well, what do you want me to do, then?" I motioned angrily to my rival before glaring at him. "I can't just let her take a nap on me, stupid! I'll end up getting some witty tease from Ms. Nosy over there behind the desk!"

Sneasel simply folded his arms before turning away. _"I'm just trying to help you, seeing as you rescued me from that idiot back in Cianwood. But if you prefer to yell at me instead of listen,"_ He took a moment to jump off the couch before waving a clawed paw in dismissal. _"I'll just leave."_

"Fine!" I watched him head for the hallway with a frown. "Be that way, Sneasel! I can take care of myself!"

I took a moment to look down at my rival before letting out a sigh. As stubborn as I might be**—**according to my rival and Sneasel**—**I had to admit that he was right. Lyra Soul was out cold, leaving me sitting here with a passed out brunette and a vicious Ice Demon for company. As terrible as this was, I knew that this was easy compared to the stunt back in the hallway.

"Well," I decided to try to pick her up to at least move her off of me. "I might as well try to get you to wake up or something before we have another crisis on our hands or something. You seem to have a knack for attracting trouble, after all."

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><p>It took roughly an hour of hard work, a whole bucket of water, a wasted Awakening and a nippy<strong>—<strong>man, I had to fight the urge not to kick that thing today**—**Glaceon ruining my good left sock, I managed to get some sort of response from my rival. And by response, I mean _for her to jump on me and tackle me with a fist raised_.

"Whoa!" I struggled under her as I tried to lift my arms to defend myself from a potential repeat of the hallway. "Lyra! It's me! I was trying to wake you up and don't you dare go crazy on me again!"

The brunette immediately snapped out of her strange state and leaped to her feet. Once she was up and awake, she reached down and yanked me to my feet. I gave her a glare as I brushed off some dust from my jacket. _I have _got_ to remember to be more careful with this one. She's literally a fiery one! I swear, she's always trying to take me out!_

"Sorry, Silv!" She gave me a quick smile with worried eyes as I continued to bite my lip. "I was just...I didn't realize where I was." She let out an awkward chuckle as she picked up her barking Glaceon. As if by a miracle, the Ice Demon shut his muzzle in her arms and nuzzled her chest with closed eyes. "Better safe than sorry, right?"

"Yeah," I spat it out as I tried to regain some feeling in my back beside this throbbing sting. "Well, you were only on the couch as you were when you passed out, idiot." I stood up straight and found myself grimacing through the pain. "Do you have low blood sugar or something? You always seem to be passing out."

Lyra gave an awkward laugh once again and shuffled her feet. "Sorry, it happens with the whole rage thing. I managed to get rid of every other side-effect except that one. It's a pain, I know."

"Well, stop playing dead on me!" I found the words rushing out my mouth before I could think. "That's like the second time today, and I always seem to find you on the ground! You really know how to give a guy a heart attack, don't you?"

She took a step away from me for a second before giving me a smug grin, narrowing her hazel eyes until that little flame inside was visible. "Aw! You were worried about me!"

Heat rushed to my face as I jolted. _Ack! No no no! You are such an idiot, Silver!_ "N-No I wasn't!" The stutter at the beginning _really_ helped my case here. "I'm just sick and tired of pulling you out of scraps and such! Th-There's no way I was _actually_ worried about some little girl like you! You're just my rival and a pain in my neck!"

She just laughed that haunting laugh of hers and gave me a playful poke on that new burn I had to show off. "Oh really? Well then, I guess this blush means nothing! Please excuse my boldness!" I just gave her a growl and shoved her hand away with a burning face. _Man, I hate it when she teases like that!_

"Just quit it already!" I gave her a harsh scowl as she simply tilted her head with a cocky smirk, taunting me in her silent pride. "I just**—**grrr! You make me so mad that I can't even speak!"

"Whatever," She shrugged with the same grin as I stood there with clenched fists. "You're just embarrassed about being found out. Well then," She looked over to the nearby counter and found Nurse Joy waving at us with a beaming smile. We both shuddered at the sight before she turned her attention back to me. "We'd probably go get our stuff and make sure we still have everything."

At this suggestion, I found a small amount of my anger melting. _That's a good point..._ I found myself releasing my fists and letting out a heavy breath. _Things were so crazy this morning, we pretty much threw our whole day away._ I ended up shrugging and giving her a nod of agreement.

Lyra shot me a beaming grin once again and taking a few steps towards the hallway. "With those dolts all tied up, sending them in with the rest of the Rockets won't take much effort. After all this, I still can't believe there are still Rockets hanging around. I could have sworn that they were gone..."

I ended up walking right behind her with a sigh of my own. _Yeah, isn't that the truth. After three long years without that monster, you would have thought that they had given up. It really rubs me the wrong way to know that they never seem to die!_ "Yeah, they're like a blood spot in a white carpet. They're nearly impossible to remove."

The cocky brunette gave me a shocked expression over her shoulder as she reached the door. "Yeah...I guess that's true...But that's an odd example." I felt a rush a panic as I found her giving me a suspicious look. "But it's a fitting example for Team Rocket, I guess. I bet they had a _lot_ of blood spots in their carpets." She then walked inside of the room and left me in the all too warm hallway.

"Yeah, you have _no_ idea."

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><p><strong>Author's Note: We're getting so close to the end here. It's actually kinda sad for me to be finishing this mini-series (or perhaps this fits as a series with that <em>word count<em>) up... but I'm very happy that you all enjoyed _"Irritation"_ so much! You really made this project a lot of fun. Truly, you guys are amazing!**

**Alright, so I gave it a seventeenth-century chapter name just for fun, I guess. I actually dislike such boring titles, so I used it as a parody of those serials of old. However, I see this as somehow fitting, seeing as this whole thing started as a parody of a popular plot-line for Rival and Heroine shippings. It's sorta crazy to think that a simple that idea that was only four parts at the start became a full-on parody-with-a-plot(?) of common shipping clichés and such. But I'm happy that this happened this way! The plot works so much better this way.**

**It seems that...SILVER UNDERSTANDS SNEASEL? That's crazy! But he asked quite a few chapters ago what he said to Lyra! The answer is: he was too tired to hear properly and was probably in denial over what he had said. Silver can understand the Sharp Claw Pokémon very well, actually. He's the only Pokémon he owns that he understands, actually. (I'm planning a one-shot about these two, actually. They are easily one of my favorite Pokemon-Trainer duos in the whole series) /quietly waits to see if anyone catches a small thing I put in as a hint/**

**Lyra is just...OH MY HO-OH STOP DOING THAT. She's always at his throat in one way or another. It's only a matter of time before we find out if she'll give a kiss or just slit his throat. Whether she betrays him or loves him. Whether she sticks around or runs off. We'll have to wait and see just which path she chooses! (Hopefully, she doesn't run off to Falkner's waiting arms. That would be bad for Silvy.)**


	19. So, Whatever Happened to the Mouse?

**Finale: So, What Ever Happened to the Mouse?**

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><p>"I still can't believe that Team Rocket caused that blizzard to sneak in here!" Lyra Soul was still as excited as ever as she took her Pokémon from the evil Nurse Joy. She turned to me with a smile as her Meganium stood tall beside her. "I mean, that just screams to me that there's plenty of Rockets still around. One single Sneasel could <em>never<em> cause such a large snow build-up by itself."

I gave her a frown as my own Sneasel peeked out from behind my back, resting his head on my shoulder. "Don't underestimate a Sneasel. These little Pokémon are quite skilled in sneaking around and causing distractions." Lyra just rose an eyebrow and rested her scarred hand on her Petalsaurus' head.

"Yeah, and I'm sure you know that from experience." I just shot her a look as she laughed it off. She suddenly grew serious as she narrowed her eyes in thought. "Well, it looks like nothing's keeping you here anymore, huh?" _Yeah, that snowdrift was just a diversion to hold off anyone from coming inside. Now that the Sneasel's knocked out, the snow all melted in the sunlight._

"I'll still hang around here for a little while," I found the words filled with a frantic worry. "I mean, the Dragon's Den is still here, right? That's always a good place to train and all." Amusement flashed through bright hazels as she leaned towards me with her free hand on her hip.

"Oh really? I'm truly surprised that they let someone like you inside, especially after your deep hatred of Lance and Clair went public." My face burned as I recalled that bitter spat in the center of this very village. _Ugh, if it's not one thing with you, it's another._

"I'm just fine, thank you." I folded my arms and remained silent as we both left Nurse Joy behind. My shoes seemed to stick to every tile on the cold floors as Lyra stopped beside the looming glass doors. It could have been a trick of the sunlight streaming through the glass entryway, but I could have sworn that her smile faltered into a frown for the slightest fraction of a second.

Either way, Lyra Soul slipped out the door with a determined air surrounding her. I followed her with heavy feet as Sneasel simply gave a few worried chirps from his lookout. My heart seemed to drop in my stomach as she stopped only a few feet away, a few feet that never seemed to leave us.

"Well," Her voice seemed to choke as she looked back to me with a forced smile. "I guess this is where we part ways, right? You have training to do, I have places to be and people to face..." Her voice trailed away as the sun burned me as if I was under a pane of glass.

"Where are you going?" The indifference in my voice was gone with the wind that teased her hair and stole my breath. "Are you heading back to the League for some Champion stuff or something?"

My heart seemed to skip a beat as she shook her head. "Actually, I'm heading to Kanto to challenge the Gym Leaders over there. Besides," She took a moment to look at her bag before looking back to me. "I sorta have something to deliver over there." She took a long moment to look at me before turning to her partner. "I'm sure I'll get there before the end of the week. It's not that long of a journey to go home to New Bark and then head towards Kanto."

"Right," Remember that earlier heart skip? Yeah, now my heart was in my stomach. "You were never one to stay in one place for long." She just laughed at me and waved it off.

"Looks like I can't hide from you, Silver!" She then gave me a nod and took a step backwards. "Well, I better get going. I'm certain that I'm going to have some sort of problem with Ethan when I get there, and then everyone's going to want a piece of me." She gave me a tilt of the head that usually meant that she was thinking of something. "Well, I'll see you later!" Before I could stop her, Lyra Soul ran away towards the mountains, heading towards her home.

I somehow found my hand reaching out towards where she was standing only moments before with a shocked face. Sneasel just waited patiently before tilting his head to rest against my cheek. _"That was anticlimactic. You officially fail at socializing with her."_

I reluctantly lowered my hand to my side and let out a sigh. As much as I hated it, Sneasel wasn't too far off this time. _I seriously need to work on getting her to wait._ I ended up letting my head droop as I looked back on the past day and a half. Despite being unplanned, locked inside with my rival and facing off against grunts and my rival in some blind fit of rage, it wasn't so bad. In fact, I felt kinda disappointed that it was over. _I didn't even so much as get a battle out of that..._

It was then that it hit me.

Lyra Soul was heading to Kanto to challenge the Kanto League, right? There was bound to be plenty of Trainers beside her over there that I could battle. There where Gyms over there as well that gave out badges, Gyms that I could challenge...er, a bit more honorably. That was yet another thing that the dreaded region offered. Besides all of that, there was a distinct chance that I could encounter that...that _man_ over there. He could be hiding somewhere in Viridian City, waiting for his chance.

A small smile formed as I found my mind coming to an answer far quicker than I expected. It was true, Kanto was a place I never expected to return to. However, placing all of these things on the scale, I found plenty of reasons to continue on with my own journey. I might have missed on being the strongest in Johto, but Kanto still was unconquered by both myself _and_ my rival.

"Oh, you'll see me a whole lot sooner than you think, my rival."

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><p><strong>Author's Note: And...it seems this is the end. cue the moans of disappointment/ It's a shame that all good things must come to an end. However, if this didn't, it would truly suffer from never ending. This cannot be _"The Neverending Story of Irritation"_, it has to be just_ "Irritation"_. I'm sorry about that. However, I'm so proud of how this story turned out, and even prouder to know that you guys enjoyed this story so much. Really, you guys make me so happy!**

**It seems that both parties here are a bit reluctant to leave this small corner in Blackthorn after spending time with each other. True, the meeting may have been by chance, but what happened next was no accident. These two are closer than they think, but they are still a bit too dense to understand such feelings. (Except maybe Lyra; she understands her problem) And so, with heavy hearts, they part ways for the moment. However, you can be sure that they will meet again soon.**

**I've come to a conclusion. THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL TO THIS. After much consideration, I've decided that a sequel will be a good choice. So, my wonderful readers, please be on the lookout for the thrilling sequel to _"Irritation"_! What will the name be, you ask. Well, that's quite simple. The name shall be...**

_**"Frustration"**_**!**

**Thank you so much for reading, and I hope to see you all again soon!  
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